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Commuters face Tube strike as workers walk out again
Dick Murray25 Sep 2009
Workers on one of London Underground's busiest Tube lines are to stage a 24-hour strike in a row over new rosters, it was announced today.
The Rail Maritime and Transport union said its members on the Victoria Line will walk out from 2130 hrs on Monday, 5 October.
The union said new rosters had been imposed that significantly increased the workload on staff.
The move, coupled with almost daily service disruption, had made life "intolerable" for workers, claimed the union.
General secretary Bob Crow said: "The imposition of these new rosters is all about management trying to carve up the staff working day to fit in with bad decisions that they have made.
"This underhand attempt to extract an extra 20% from the working day out of our members has provoked this action on the Victoria Line and we would urge the management side to re-open serious negotiations to resolve this issue."
A London Underground spokesman said the union had been fully consulted on changes which were designed to impove efficiency.
"A key plank of this is to have a look at how drivers' rosters can be organised to make better use of staff time.
"Drivers already operate five return trips per shift on the Victoria line at weekends - an arrangement which has never caused any problems from staff."
The spokesman urged the union to resume negotiations with the company and call of the strike.
Reader views (22)
It,s high time that strikes were made illegal. Both sides arguments should go an independent body and their verdict be binding.
Sack them all and re-employ only those who agree to these decisions.
THIS SHOULD APPLY TO ALL EMPLOYEES IN ANY KIND OF EMPLOYMENT
- El Del, Valencia Spain, 25/09/2009 15:12
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Stop using the recession as an excuse, it is not there fault that our "intelligent upper class folk" are mentally challenged (goverment and bankers) messed up the country.
As for the person that refered to automated trains. The Docklands Light Railway is set to be crippled by strike action aswell that week!
What difference does an automatic train make exactly???
Those that say sack the lot of them need a reality check, because unfortunately for you jealous folk (that probably wished they had a union to fight their corner) it won't happen whilst the RMT exists!
I work for national rail and pay to use the Victoria Line just like the rest of you, so that makes me a customer.....just like the rest of you...get a grip and learn to stop moaning!
- Anonymous, London, 25/09/2009 15:12
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they would need to do an extra 100% in a working day to get even close to justifying the amount they earn to jump red lights and stab the brakes so hard everyone falls over in the carriages (i'm sure they do this deliberately!)
- Mr Opinion, london, 25/09/2009 13:51
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They are getting most weekends off at the moment as it is! The Victoria Line has been automated since it opened - "drivers" were only added in case passengers were freaked by driverless trains. We have proved on the DLR that they aren't. The new generation of Victoria line trains should therefore be driverless.
- Johnnyb, London, 25/09/2009 13:31
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Surely this all comes down to union concerns over passenger safety? Oh, I forgot Crow hasn't resorted to that excuse yet...plenty of time to go though.
- Bigmaddog, Barking, 25/09/2009 13:31
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All of you moaners on here are just jealous that a union still has some clout to improve the conditions and pay for it's members...Get that "it's members" who pay into the union, and themselves vote for any action if they feel it is needed. Bob Crow is at the head of the union but may not necessarily be involved in any negotiations that are done in this case, but he is the public face that makes statements to the press.
Do not forget that Unions came about for a reason. The people of this country need some sorely missing backbone to stand up for what is right in all walks of life...At least the RMT still has it...And no...I am not a member or a tube worker.
- Mark H, London England, 25/09/2009 13:01
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Red light stop, green light go; that'll be £45000 pounds please.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 25/09/2009 12:57
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Sack the lot of them, or at least make it illegal to strike as that wont cost all the leagal fees and redundancy payouts.
They get around £36K a year PLUS about 6 weeks holiday, it's not just bad for workers and residents trying to go about their business, but a shame for the tourists who pay a lot of money to visit London, bringing in much needed revenue.
Oh one last thing, how much is bob crow on as a union leader?
- P Staker, Londonistan., 25/09/2009 12:19
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Make it illegal for these idiots to strike, and sack "The Fat Controller" Blob Crow, he is still living in the 80s. Replace him with a Polish person who was born with a work ethic.
- D.W., London, 25/09/2009 12:05
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We are continuously being held to ransom. Surely the Government could put a stop to these endless strikes!
- Jk, London, 25/09/2009 11:51
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Chris, I think you can use your Freedom Pass at any time now. Boris Johnson changed the rules. Please check this.
- Patricia, LONDON, 25/09/2009 11:42
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So once again my short journey to work from Brixton will be a nightmare and i will end up having to get the overground and get hassle from the staff in the station because i'm disabled and will be trying to use my Freedom Pass before 9.30 and will be discriminated against and told i'm not supposed to be using before 9.30am even though oyster cards users will be waved through. I'm really looking forward to the stress... NOT.
- Chris, London, 25/09/2009 10:56
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The unions need to wak up and smell the coffee - look what happened to the dockers, printers, etc.
- Very Very Angry At Paying Tax For Mp'S Expeses, Home Counties, 25/09/2009 10:37
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Sack them all. They have held London to ransom once too often, and it's time such drastic measures were taken.
There are certain occupations who shouldn't be allowed to strike, and people working on public transport is one of them.
It's an absolute disgrace that parts of London grind to a halt, just because they don't get their own way. It hurts the economy, and the knock-on effect causes mayhem across the city.
There are plenty of people looking for jobs at present, so lets get people down there who would actually be grateful to be in employment, and get rid of the people who whinge that they have to press the stop/go button a little bit more each day.
TFL should go to this awful Bob Crow fellow, and say that they're replacing all manned trains for fully automated trains... he'd soon change his tune.
- Marcus, South Kensington, 25/09/2009 10:29
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Victoria line is a joke.
Its already shut for most of the time.
And the trains are automated, not like the drivers are working hard.
I feel bad for the station staff having to deal with the effects these lazy drivers are causing
- Josh, London, 25/09/2009 10:16
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they should be grateful they have jobs. sack the lot of them and get people who want to owrk. The unions are a dinosaur which should be extinct by now.
- Buffalo Gal, Devon, 25/09/2009 09:52
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Okay let me get this right. They have altered the rota's to extract an extra 20% from the working day. I doubt that means all the staff have been asked to work two extra hours (presuming a very taxing seven hour day) so it must mean they've rota'd staff to be available when the service requires them. I.e. being paid to do their jobs when they are needed.
So not the imposition of a roster to compensate for bad decisions but rather a roster designed to meet the efficiency and productivity requirements management are trying to deliver.
Would someone please explain to me why these unions and Bob Crow in particular are allowed to destroy key services that keep the paying consumer from their jobs? I know this is the standard rhetoric, but seriously, with 3 million people unemployed why doesn't TFL start training up replacement staff (who aren't unionised). Then they could replace this lazy, greedy mob of Union pirates with people who are prepared to work for what is in fact a decent wage, working in somewhat better conditions than many more people do.
- Ken, UK, 25/09/2009 09:43
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Sack the lot of them and bring in automated trains like those on DLR.
Just in case there are real people needed somewhere recruit people who are unemployed, pay a bit less and reduce fairs.
Put these striking shirkers on a list of unemployable people - if such a thing exists ?
- James, City of London, 25/09/2009 09:20
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They are apparently refusing to drive more than 4 return journeys a day. It takes 37 minutes from one end to the other, so that's a shade short of 5 hours remembering when to stop and start and which doors to open - hardly a massive intellectual burden, and no doubt they'll all be up for some overtime at time and a half or double time Sundays.
The Victoria Line shares no track with other lines and is prime for conversion to driverless trains. They've done it in Paris ......
- Paul, London, 25/09/2009 08:54
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Don't these fools know there is a recession on?
These overpaid dinosaurs think they can hold the whole city to ransom when everyone else is losing their jobs, having their pay cut.
The Victoria line is fully automatic, it's not like the work is difficult. Even then the drivers manage to open the doors on the wrong side!
Bob Crow is a nasty man. ASLEF is a reasonable union who look out for their members. The RMT is full of militant Scargill worshippers.
- Kate, Harrow, London, UK, 25/09/2009 08:41
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What's the matter Mr Crow, toilet paper too hard? Towels not fluffy enough? Crow is as bad as Red Robbo.
- Peter, Harrow, UK, 25/09/2009 08:12
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Why not run the trains into sidings, put covers over the lines, and let everyone use it as a cycle path?
- Threaded, Roskilde, Denmark, 25/09/2009 07:46
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