July/August 2014rmtbakerloobranch.org.uk • @bakerloormt

Reinstate Dave Hanson:

Sacked...without evidence!We expect to be treated with fairnesswhen dealing with our employer.

We believe in geting a fair hearingand for all the evidence to be presentedand considered. But Bakerloo managershave resorted to the bad old days ofdeciding guilt and sanction - thenignoring and disregarding mitigation toachieve their aim.In Dave Hanson’s, caseLU managers have been found out.Dave, a CSA on the Harrow &Wealdstone group, has been sacked,despite:

• No corroborative evidence• No CCTV showing anything

untoward• No complaint from the “customer”• No fact find with a member of staff,

who supported Dave’s account• Unfounded allegations of tampering

with station log book: BTP haveinvestigated, and ruled Dave out as asuspect

Accepting the TVMs are not reliable,but refusing to take that intoconsideration “on this occasion”

Failure of management to follow theirown procedures surrounding allegationsof lost money in POMs/ TVMs

The decision to dismiss Dave forfailing to take the punter to a closedexcess fare window is as harsh as can be.All discipline should be corrective, notpunitive; this is a training issue, not a

disciplinaryone.

The irony isthat when anallegation ofmoney beinglost in a TVMwas made, theDuty Manager

failed to follow LUL’s own procedure.Unsurprisingly, no action was taken. Tosack Dave for what amounts to a similaroversight is cruel in the extreme. Davenow needs his workmates and fellowRMT members to make a stand on hisbehalf. This is what a union is for: tomobilise our collective strength to fightfor justice when bosses mistreat us asworkers. If management are allowed toget away with sacking a member of staffwith no corroborative evidence for thealleged crime, and while flagrantlydisregarding their own processes, it willbe a greenlight for more punitivesackings, at a time when we all know thecompany is looking to slash staffinglevels. It’s Dave today, it could be youtomorrow. Ballot papers for industrialaction are being prepared whilst wepursue a Director’s Review.

Failure to reinstate Dave will resultin a call for industrial action. SupportDave Hanson, support workers’ rightsto due process and fair treatment!

What is Bakerloo News?Bakerloo News is a monthly newsletter produced by theBakerloo branch of the RMT. RMT Bakerloo is the branchfor all RMT union members in Bakerloo stations, traindepots, and the wholeSpecial Requirements

Team (SRT). The branch meets at 16:00on the first Monday of every month, inThe Red Lion on Kingly Street. Formore info, please visitrmtbakerloobranch.org.uk. To submit astory for Bakerloo News, email Danielat therubykid1@gmail.com.

RMT Bakerloo: winning for workersWe’re pleased to report that Bakerloodriver and RMT member MelMullings-Ramsay has been cleared ofall disciplinary charges, following ourballot for industrial action.

Management wanted to disciplineMel on trumped-up technicalities.Union members stood firm, chose toballot, and delivered a strong yes vote.Management backed down!

This is what unions are for: winning for workers.

Support locked-out ISS cleaners:Initial could be next!RMT members working on the ISScleaning contract are locked out forrefusing to use biometric fingerprinting machines to book on.

The machines are an affront to cleaners’ civil liberties. Initial cleanerson Bakerloo: if ISS get away with introducing these machines, Initial willfollow!

Join the union, support our brothers and sisters at ISS!

Union Learning updateRMT Union Learning Representatives(ULR) have been busy helping mem-bers access further learning, includinglanguages classes and other qualifica-tions.

Let us know what you’re interestedin, what you’re involved in, or whatlearning obstacles you face, and we’llsee what Union Learning can do tohelp. We’ll also enter you in a draw towin limited edition Union Learninggoodies!

Your ULRs are: Mick Miguel, JayeshPatel (Bakerloo Line), and Leon Bru-mant (SRT).

For more info, email: rmtbakerlooulr@gmail.com

Next branch meeting:Monday 4 August, 16:00 @The Red Lion, KinglyStreet (W1B 5PR).

Includes election of new BranchSecretary. All members welcome.

Stand by for more action in LU jobs dispute

We still say: no to cuts and closures!Ongoing talks and reviews withmanagement have revealed the fullextent of their plans to slash jobs.

As our table (left) shows, most majorstations on the Bakerloo Line face drasticstaffing cuts under the new regime.Imagine your station in the peak... andnow imagine it with drastically fewerstaff. More stressful, more dangerous,simply worse.

And how do management plan toachieve these cuts? Through massdisplacements, shifting thousands of usto new locations, meaning hugedisruptions for work-life balance. 3,000of us are slated for mass displacement inFebruary 2016.

Even if you’re not a SCRA, SAMF, oran SS, you WILL be affected. The cutswill make YOUR job harder. They willmake the service we can provide forpassengers worse, which will lead toeven more stress for staff.

Management is also trying to backaway from the commitment it madeafter our las strikes, to ensure no loss ofsalary for affected staff. Bosses are nowsaying people will be forced to sitassessments, and/or face displacement, ifwe want to keep our pay.

The union’s position remains clear: weare 100% opposed to these unecessarycuts. We don’t want one job to go, or oneticket office to close. And we WILL takemore action to stop the cuts goingahead.

Be prepared to strike again, soon. Ifyou’re in financial hardship and needsupport to strike, the Regional Council’sfighting fund is there to help you. Thiswill be a long fight, but we can win.Every strike has pushed managementback and delayed implementation.

If we keep fighting, we might delayimplementation forever.

The RMT Bakerloo Branch Secretary,Brian Munro, passed away peacefullyin his sleep on 28 June. Brian hadbeen fighting a long batle against arare form of ocular cancer.

Brian was the Bakerloo BranchSecretary for almost 15 years. Duringhis time as a London Undergroundworker and RMT activist, he was anindustrial relations rep at his homedepot (Elephant and Castle), a full-timeTrains Functional Council Rep, a full-time Trains Safety Council Rep, and, atthe time of his death, the ExecutiveCommitee member of the nationalunion for the London Transport

Region. Brian was RMT to the core.Brian dedicated his life to socialism

and defending the rights of workers.Brian fought injustice and equalitywherever he found it. We all owe Briana debt of gratitude.

The huge turnout at Brian’s funeral -from trade unionists from the length

and breadth of the country, fromcomrades, friends, and family - wastestament to the man he was.

Our thoughts are with Brian’spartner, Lucy, and his two beautifuldaughters, Isobel and Brenna, at thistime.

Rest in Peace, Brian.

FULL TIME EQUIVALENT STAFFINGLEVELS ON BAKERLOO STATIONS

NOW FFtFLOCATION

Source: “Fit for the Future - Stations: CompanyCouncil Working Group” Bakerloo Line draft proposals, May 2014

49.6 44.4Oxford Circus

18 11Harrow & W

34.6 32Picc Circus

27.6 23.2Charing Cross

16 12Wembley C

6 4Kensal Green

16 12Queens Park

34.6 26.2Elephant

13 9.6Kilburn Park

Brian Munro, 1968-2014

“A well-atended meeting of the Bakerloobranch listened to the candidates and hadan excellent debate on who we wanted tobe the next General Secretary of the union.Alan Potage shone through with hishistory, drive, and vision for the union.Proud to say the Bakerloo Branchnominated Alan Potage for GeneralSecretary!” (Brian Munro, RMT BakerlooBranch Secretary)

Ballot papers for the union’s GeneralSecretary election went out on 21July. It is a massively importantposition within our union and will bedecided by a vote from every memberin the country.

There are five candidates. Your RMTBakerloo branch has nominated AlanPotage for the post, and isreccomending a vote for him.

Alan Potage is the current head ofthe national Organising Department,responsible for building our union’s

membership and strength. He hasbeen active in the union for over 32years; he is a skilled and experiencednegotiator, organiser, and campaigner.He stood shoulder-to-shoulder withRMT Bakerloo members on our picketline at Queens Park during our Aprilstrikes. He has been nominated bymany active branches from the lengthand breadth of the UK. Vote forPotage by puting a #1 next to hisname on the ballot paper.

Democracy is what underpins thefighting spirit of our union, which haswon us the terms and conditions weenjoy.

Call 0800 376 3706 to update yourcontact detailswith the union.

More:alanpotage.com

Vote Alan Pottage #1 for RMT General Secretary