It seems that London Underground has put the word out round its managers that uncovered duties are to be left uncovered unless it is really really definitely crucial to the station's safety.
The thing is, management's definition of safety is rather different from workers' definition of safety. And progressive staffing cuts over the years have meant that pretty much every duty on the job is crucial to the station's safety. Any that were not were got rid of years ago!
But saving money is so important to them that even where someone is willing and able to cover the duty on overtime, managers are to leave it uncovered, no matter the consequences. We at Tubeworker are no fans of overtime - we'd rather see enough spare turns and reserve staff to ensure the job is covered. But while we don't have those things, it is better that duties are covered on overtime than not covered at all.
Leaving a duty uncovered could compromise your - or your passegners' - safety in many ways. You may be left alone, vulnerable to assault. You may be unable to deal with an emergency incident. The lack of facilities eg. ticket office, may lead to threats and abuse. Tubeworker recommends that you familiarise yourself with your legal right to refuse to work on the grounds of safety. Luckily, our sister publication Off The Rails has a handy guide right here.
