The Tubeworker campaign for reserve / cover staff, was given a boost on the 19th of May.
At a meeting of the Stations Functional Committee, the management agreed that 28 days notice of duties must be given and changes can not be made to those duties without consulting the staff concerned first.
Management agreed to send out a joint Management-Union briefing explaining the rights of cover staff. They also agreed that the practice of telling staff that their duties had changed, rather than asking them if they would mind changing, must stop immediately.
This is a major move forward for our reserve staff. They can now plan in advance to take the family out, buy tickets for concerts, without having to worry if they will be called into work, plan child care and social events.
For too long our cover staff have been treated as second class citizens.
They have to work under so much stress, with the knowledge of several stations in their heads at all times. It was not too much to ask that they can plan a social and family life.
Now we must look to obtain the same for all cover staff regardless of grade. Our campaign has only just begun, but it has started with success and with your help can go on from grade to grade, improving the lot of all cover staff.
