LONDON OVERGROUND services are set to be disrupted over the Bank Holiday weekend, because the RMT has called a two-day strike in protest at plans to remove the remaining conductor guards on the system.
Conductors will not work for 48 hours starting just after midnight on Sunday 25 August. RMT staff in other grades will refuse to work overtime during the same period, or agree to any last-minute shift changes.
Several Overground lines do not have conductors, and TfL has said that removing the rest will have no safety implications. It has also repeated a pledge to keep all stations staffed.
But the RMT said the move would put passengers at risk. General secretary Bob Crow said: “RMT have sent out a clear message in the nine to one vote for both strike action and action short of a strike on London Overground over the appalling, cash-driven assault on our guards members and the absolutely essential role that they play. These are the very same staff who have been praised for safely evacuating passengers from emergency situations and who are the eyes and ears of the service at a time of growing violence and thefts on our trains. The failure of senior management to pull back from these proposals has forced RMT to announce this strike action.
“The fight to defend 130 safety-critical guards jobs on London Overground will be centre stage in RMT’s overall battle to defend jobs and safety on London’s transport services. RMT recognises that this lethal proposals has been brought about as result of the 12.5 per cent cut in TfL funding announced in George Osborne’s Comprehensive Spending Review. RMT has made it crystal clear that those cuts will be resisted by this union with all means at our disposal, including industrial action."
However. Transport for London said six out of 10 Overground trains are already driver-only.
Overground operator LOROL, which runs the system under a TfL concession, urged the RMT to continue with talks. LOROL managing director Peter Austin said: “We are disappointed by the result of the ballot, but would highlight that fewer than half of our 124 conductors voted, and only 43 per cent of those voted in favour of industrial action.
“We believe industrial action is unnecessary. LOROL continues to give the RMT assurances on employing conductors in alternative customer service roles and offering a generous voluntary redundancy package to those who want it.
“We urge the RMT to work with us to maintain progress in safeguarding jobs and avoid disruption to passengers.
“If industrial action goes ahead on 25 August and 26 August we believe we will still be able to run a regular service on the majority of the London Overground network with alternative arrangements for the routes affected. We will update our customers when we have more information."
TfL London Overground Director Mike Stubbs added: “Strike action is a wholly unnecessary step that will cause disruption to passengers who rely on this service. LOROL is committed to working to find a solution for those of its employees affected by this proposed change. I urge that common sense and discussions prevail – not a needless impact on train services.”