Willesden Green Votes Yes for Action

Willesden Green group station staff have voted Yes to strikes, and to action short of strikes, against their bullying local management.

Tubeworker has not got the exact figures, but we understand that it was about a 3:1 majority on a better-than-average turnout. After some recent ballots for action have gone down to defeat, this is a sure sign of the anger and determination of staff on this group.

Since the rest of us are now catching up and are balloting for action against management bullying (and for pay and jobs too), it might make sense for Willesden Green's strike days to coincide with the company-wide strikes. But there are a couple of pitfalls to avoid.

Firstly, joining in with everyone else must not lead to the specific issues on Willesden Green group being lost. We can not settle for a general concession from management easing off the discipline and attendance crackdown without keeping up the fight against the particularly awful abuses on this group.

And secondly, the law requires the first industrial action to take place within 28 days of the ballot result. Employers can agree to extend this period, but we see no reason why LUL would do this. So we might need an action on Willesden Green group before the rest of us join in. If so, it should be down to the members on the group to decide what it should be (and let's be imaginative!), and everyone else should give it our full support.