Security | Workers' Liberty

BTP and bodycams? How can we make our stations safer?

Relations between the British Transport Police and LU station staff have been somewhat strained of late. There’s a widespread feeling on the job that the BTP don’t take staff assaults seriously. This feeling was exacerbated by the news, reported in Tubeworker last month, that BTP officers conducted a covert operation at Piccadilly Circus, where they effectively spied on staff and undertook acts of antisocial behaviour in order to “gauge staff reaction”.

BTP spies on station staff

There’s been outcry across the job since it emerged yesterday that plain-clothes British Transport Police officers had been conducting a covert spying operation on station staff at Piccadilly Circus.

The operation consisted of the officers posing as fare dodgers and committing acts of antisocial behaviour in order, apparently to “gauge staff reaction”.

Although the local Area Manager claims not to have known about the operation in advance, he was briefed by the BTP afterwards. He did not notify staff however, and only admitted his involvement when challenged by union reps.

Wot No Station Closure?

When a person was stabbed at Highbury and Islington station a couple of weekends ago, the Police asked for the station to close so they could search for the weapon. No problem, said the station staff, and started the process of closing it. But then the Service Manager got wind of this, and somehow had delusions of authority over the staff on site and ordered the trains - which had already started non-stopping at Highbury - to start stopping there.

Low Standards

PURGE OF EXTREMIST WORKERS ON LONDON TRANSPORT

When Friday evening's passengers read their free Evening Standard, they read that the workforce getting them to where they were going was infested with 'extremists' and terrorists.

Yes, Tory government security minister Ben Wallace had announced that they would be rooting out the extremists who work on the transport system. No wonder Friday's late turn staff were getting nervous looks from numerous passengers.

HOT mess

Union safety reps have been telling LU for some time now that the "HOT procedure" for identifying suspect packages needs improving.

LU seem to have tacitly admitted that existing procedures are inadequate, but their changes make things worse. Rather than reviewing the "HOT procedure" and looking for ways to improve it, they've simply imposed an additional instruction that members of staff look inside suspicious bags and cases! So if we identify something as suspicious, we're now expected to start rifling around inside it.

Staff Presence

In the wake of the horrific terrorist attack in Manchester, station staff have been asked to wear our hi-vis vests permanently while on duty. LU says this is to "reassure" passengers about "staff presence".

Might it not be more reassuring to actually address the issue of how many staff there are, rather than merely changing our outfits to make us more visible?

Solidarity against terror and racism

Tubeworker sends its sympathies and condolences to the families of those killed and injured in today's attack at Westminster.

As we write, the identity of the attacker is not public, nor their political affiliations. The police are treating the incident as a terrorist attack. Whatever they are, there is no justification for the kind of wanton, brutal attack they carried out.

Defend the London Bridge 3!

Two members of London Bridge station staff have been disciplined, and a third summarily dismissed, after they, and another member of staff (who was pregnant), were assaulted by a fare evader.

North Greenwich Terror Alert

A controlled explosion was carried out on a suspect package at North Greenwich Tube station on 20 October, highlighting the ongoing possibility of a further terrorist atrocity on London Underground. Nobody was injured this time and the diligence and professionalism of the workers involved must be recognised.

On 7/7, frontline London Underground staff were amongst the first to respond, rushing to incident scenes, arranging and facilitating emergency service response, and evacuating passengers to safety at stations across London.

Leytonstone attack: unite against staffing cuts and racism

Tubeworker's thoughts today are with those injured in the knife attack at Leytonstone station last night - and with all our workmates and passengers who as a result are even more anxious about being around London Underground. We know from past experience that in times of war and terrorist activity, our job always becomes both more important and more stressful.