Met and C&H Controllers In Dispute!

Taken for Granted then attacked

The Metropolitan and Circle / Hammersmith & City Line Controller team have been sailing the seas of the SSR upgrade for a few years now. Fought multiple battles with CBTC signalling (that regularly breaks), been kept prisoners at HMP Hammersmith, not been allowed to transfer out with appalling working conditions. The only escapes being made by walking the plank and retiring or getting a job elsewhere. Meanwhile they have kept the railway running day in day out; with a mass of vacancies that the company has been unable to fill due to the complexity of being the only controllers running two very different railways.

According to LU the upgrade works are now complete so the best way to thank the controllers is with a Roster Cut! An absolutely un-believable attack on such a hard working team. 

The fine crew onboard had this to say,

"We’ve gone above and beyond to keep the desk covered we’ve been flexible and co-operative way beyond what could reasonably be expected given all of the issues affecting us at Hammersmith and yet that appears to be continually taken for granted and never recognised."
Met / C&H Line Controller
SCL2 Hammersmith
"Just this week there have been some very loyal sacrifices to keep the room open. And this is not the only week recently. Without the very goodwill of staff at least 1 desk would have been shut in the last few weeks on numerous occasions."
Met / C&H Line Controller
SCL2 Hammersmith
"I can in all seriousness tell you its on a knife edge now with goodwill and bribes. Piss staff off and they'll be looking at multiple shifts where they'll need to find other staff."
Met / C&H Line Controller
SCL2 Hammersmith
"The staffing crisis is not of our making yet the imposition of a roster feels like us being punished."
Met / C&H Line Controller
SCL2 Hammersmith
"We are all trapped at Hammersmith for probably a minimum of 5 years still and they have no answers to get anyone in."
Met / C&H Line Controller
SCL2 Hammersmith

Fighting Back

The overworked and overstretched crew have said enough and are drawing a line in the sand which they will not back down from. The RMT General Secretary has written to London Underground in very clear terms stating our position. The roster cut was put in without any union consultation or agreement and then suddenly imposed upon the staff with zero representation or warning regarding the situation.

BALLOTING FOR sTRIKE aCTION

Ballots have now been sent out to all controllers on the Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines which need to be back with the independent scrutineer by the 16th February 2021. They are balloting over taking strike action and action short of strike action. Early indications expect the result will be a resounding..