Action Against Assaults

Posted in Tubeworker's blog on ,

Staff across the job have been shocked to hear about the brutal assault on our workmates at West Ham station last Wednesday. Tubeworker sends our solidarity to those involved and is pleased to hear about the great support they are getting from colleagues. Not so much from management, though, we hear.

In response to this, we need concrete action: not crocodile tears, and not sticking-plaster attempts to use inadequate technological fixes to address the problem.

Concrete demands follow from the key issues in the assault:

- This station repeatedly has uncovered duties and people working alone on a gateline where they are vulnerable: so we need a clear commitment from LUL that all uncovered duties are covered, and that lone working ends - not just working alone on a station, but working alone on a vulnerable part of a station.

- This is also rooted in the de-staffing of stations over recent years. We need an immediate increase in staffing levels, through the recruitment of permanent LUL staff, not agencies or securiety guards.

- It was shocking how easily the assailant were able to kick down the door to get to the staff they assaulted. Flimsy doors must be replaced immediately (rather than the rolling programme that management have promised).

- We need a secure and accessible place of safety in every part of every station.

We understand why staff are asking for bodycams, but as CCTV didn't deter these assailants, so it seems unlikely that bodycams would. And we worry that management will use bodycams (or an increase in police numbers) as an excuse to refuse demands like no lone working or covering all duties.

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Comments

Submitted by Rabia Ali (not verified) on Mon, 23/09/2019 - 18:28

Couldn't agree more.. and it was an upsetting incident.

We were discussing this the other day that body cams will not help if assailants are not scared or bothered about the repercussions...

Its about time law got tougher for these hooligans or any uncalled behaviour as a matter of fact.

Hope the idiots are found and procecuted. Sending hugs to the our colleages at West Ham.

Rabia - Victoria Station

Submitted by Sandra (not verified) on Tue, 24/09/2019 - 17:54

I abhor lone working. However I feel you should also push for more staff on section 12 stations where there are only 2 staff required to meet minimum numbers. Please don’t think we don’t get abused daily and are less at risk. If anything we are more at risk. We can’t lock ourselves in the station office/control room. We have to be on the gateline .

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