26.10.16
RMT to ballot Southern drivers and LU station staff
The industrial dispute on the troubled Southern franchise looks set to get worse as RMT confirmed it is balloting drivers on the line, as well as announcing a separate ballot of staff on the London Underground.
The Southern ballot, which runs from 4 to 18 November, will ask drivers whether to carry out strikes and other industrial action to try to stop plans to introduce driver-only operated (DOO) services.
It is thought that only 12 Southern drivers are members of RMT, but Aslef, which represents the other drivers, has already announced its own ballot.
Mick Cash, general secretary of RMT, said: “Drivers on Southern Rail will find themselves dangerously exposed if the company decide to plough ahead with their ill-conceived and dangerous plans for a wholesale extension of DOO on their routes.
“Drivers will be placed in an impossible position trying to monitor despatch from overcrowded platforms while they should be concentrating on the job of driving the train. The consequences for safety at the critical platform/train Interface are horrendous.
“The union will be calling for a massive YES vote as we step up the pressure on GTR/Southern to abandon their high-risk plans.”
RMT is leading Southern guard strikes in November and December as part of an ongoing industrial dispute.
A spokesperson for Southern said: “This ballot is unnecessary. Our proposals to transfer the full operation of the train to the driver to allow the on board supervisor to concentrate on customer service are totally safe, and a proven method of operation.”
Separately, RMT announced it would ballot London Underground station workers, saying that a safety incident last Thursday when North Greenwich was closed after an improvised bomb was found showed the dangers of staff cuts.
Cash said the terror alert had “confirmed the urgency of the current situation and the nonsense of axing station staff”.
A recent leaked TfL report said that an incident where a passenger’s foot was trapped between the train and platform at Canning Town was made worse because of a lack of staff in the control room.
The ballot will involve nearly 3,500 workers and run from 1 to 15 November.
Mark Wild, London Underground’s managing director, said: “The safety of customers and staff is our top priority and our hardworking people ensure that London Underground remains one of the safest metros in the world. There are more staff available to customers in public areas of stations than ever before and crime is at its lowest ever level. An independent review of the closure of ticket offices is being conducted by London TravelWatch to ensure that we continue to deliver high quality customer service."
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