RAIL union RMT said yesterday’s strike for tube safety and safe staffing levels on London Underground was ‘rock solid’, and demanded that the rail regulator launch an investigation into ‘breaches of post-King’s Cross fire safety rules’.
The tube strike involved members of both the RMT and TSSA.
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: ‘The message to the Mayor and his transport officials this morning is clear – stop playing fast and loose with safety, stop the drive towards unstaffed stations, drop the threat of these lethal cuts and start meaningful talks on a safe and secure future for the London tube system.
‘Our members have shown in their rock solid support for this action that they will not sit idly by while staffing levels are hacked to the bone and the management open the door to a major disaster.’
All entrances and exits were covered at Leytonstone tube station, with TSSA picketing one entrance and RMT joined by Unison council workers on the other.
The TSSA rep for Hainault, Anthony Martins, told News Line: ‘I am a station supervisor on this line and we are taking united action with RMT and it is going very well because we have managed to get some ASLEF drivers to not come in to work as well.
‘It’s an important strike to keep staff on the job.
‘We need more staff not less. They want to cut down the ticket office staff by 800!
‘It will mean that the stations will become unsafe especially for women if these cuts go ahead.
‘If nothing is resolved then more strike action will take place on October 3rd and 4th.
‘We will continue our fight until our jobs are safe.’
Two representatives from the local Unison branch came down to join the picket line.
Dave Knight, Unison branch secretary for Waltham Forest council, said: ‘We came down here today to show our support for RMT and TSSA.
‘I am in favour of a public sector alliance and I am going to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) on Sunday.
‘There are motions from the RMT and PCS about united trade union action.
‘At the TUC we want a national day of action across all unions and I for one will support a campaign that will include united industrial action.’
The RMT and TSSA joined forces to maintain a strong picket line at Rayners Lane station in Uxbridge in Pinner, north-west London.
Prakash Mandalia told News Line: ‘This strike is about 800 jobs going.
‘It will affect the passengers on safety grounds.
‘Customers will have difficulty getting tickets. VIPs – Visually Impaired People – will be affected.
‘If there are no staff, blind and disabled passengers will not be able to use the stations.’
Mr P Patel, a TSSA member, remarked: ‘Let’s say a lady left her bag on the train with her passport and plane tickets – we will hold the train and retrieve the bag so she can carry on with her journey and catch her flight.
‘I have found £15,000 and £5,000 in cash at this station. We handed it in.’
He alleged: ‘They are running trains with no staff in the stations today. It is dangerous.’
At Harrow-on-the-Hill picket line, Maria Carter, RMT industrial rep, said: ‘We are striking to save 800 jobs. We want to keep the railways safe.
‘These job cuts mean safety will be compromised.’
There were about a dozen workers on the picket line outside Finsbury Park tube station yesterday.
Tom Mahoney, an RMT official, said: ‘The strike is very solid this morning.
‘The managers are working 16 to 18-hour shifts to keep stations open.
‘We believe stations are under-staffed, below staffing requirements set out in Section 12.’
He added: ‘There is a complete ban on overtime. The next strike is to start on October 3rd.
Pickets were out from 4.30am on the Hammersmith and City Line at Hammersmith station.
RMT Health and Safety rep Jim Harding told News Line: ‘Management have been reporting all morning that they are running a service yet not one train has moved.
‘You cannot compromise on safety. Job cuts will mean more unmanned stations.
‘Also,’ he alleged, ‘drivers are being asked to drive trains if the pilot light is cut, which means that the train doors could be open, obviously endangering passengers.
‘Drivers are also being pressured to reverse trains without any assistance from station staff – you just can’t run a service without staff.’
Michael, an RMT picket at Brixton station, said: ‘It is going well, the strike is solidly supported.’
