Forum Topic

Emma Daniels ● 5664d0 Comments

Tell mangagement? Tell management??What? Risk an all-out strike?

Alan Brainsby ● 5631d

I'm not asking you to manage LUL staff Faith, I'm suggesting you complain....as always we like to have a grumble about staff having their feet up or reading a book, but when asked to do something about it we put our heads down. When I'm out and about shopping and see something I don't like I tell the manager!! It keeps them on their toes!

Pete Gregory ● 5631d

It's not my job to manage LUL staff. If someone did that at my place of work they'd get the sack.

Faith Wardle ● 5631d

"There are always plenty of other station staff apart from the person behind the counter" I'm afraid this is just not the case. On Nearly all the branch line stations North Ealing to South Harrow and Boston manor for example once the morning peak is over there is only one member of staff on duty. They will also be reducing staff at Ealing common and Northfields of ALL places. Yes, some ticket office staff have become encrusted in their positions..but when things go wrong, they have specific duites to carry out. BTW once staff have carried out their main duites they should be on the gateline not feet up reading a book...if you see this then why not give customer services a call and report this....your call will be registered and filtered down to the local manager...after all its YOUR underground!

Pete Gregory ● 5631d

There are always plenty of other station staff apart from the person behind the counter in most underground stations. In my local station this person usually has his/her feet up and is reading a book. I have supported LU workers in the past, but with this they are just using safety as an excuse.

Faith Wardle ● 5632d

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11674346It's nice to see twerpery is alive and well in the Labour Party, but has it ever been any other way?

Alan Brainsby ● 5634d

In case anyone is wondering what a gated tube car is here is an example:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1906_Gate_Stock_Motor_Car.png

Alan Brainsby ● 5659d

I was also thinking of the gatemen who worked on the trains before the introduction of air-door stock (the modern type where the doors are controlled by either a guard or train operator). Gatemen were responsible for opening and closing the gates at the end of each car to allow passengers on and off. When they had closed the gates they would signal to the guard, who would, when all the gates had been closed, signal the driver so the train could proceed. Security indeed!

Alan Brainsby ● 5659d

I'm surprised that the RMT isn't pressing  for gatemen to be reintroduced.......This is exactly what the RMT are trying to bring back....The need for ticket office clerks has gone down from a business point of view but LUL are using this excuse to not only reduce the number of ticket office hours but are also introducing a cull of the gateline staff...if it was just a case of moving the ticket office staff onto the gateline then there wouldn't be a problem....LUL are very good at peddling with words!During peak times you really do need gateline staff but even busy stations like Ealing Common and Northfields are left unmanned on the gates during the day.

Pete Gregory ● 5660d

"... Hampstead to Golders Green if GG was closed for a few hours?"Bus 268 - 6 minute journey outside the rush hour and 8-9 minutes in it, the train journey is 5 minutes - half the time. Of course one would miss the 202ft descent in the lift at Hampstead station and the risk of being mugged at either station whilst passing through it. I think the risk is no greater than standing at an unmanned bus stop though.I would say that two staff at each station is reasonable inasmuch as while one is taking a break the other can patrol the station. This would mean a minimum of eight staff for each station assuming an eight hour shifts, seven days opening, sick leave, holidays, and so on. I suppose another solution to the security problem would be to allow access to the platforms only when a train is approaching, much like the Eurostar operation does.Anyway what happens when the would-be victim is off station limits? Do we have policeman lurking behind every third lamppost?

Alan Brainsby ● 5660d

So how would you get from Hampstead to Golders Green if GG was closed for a few hours? And what would the duration of the relative journeys?I think all stations should have a minimum of two.

George Knox ● 5660d

With very,very few exceptions all Underground stations are manned by at least one person. I would rather a station be manned by someone competent in railway management rather than ticket sales.If no-one is available so that a station is unmanned then it should be closed for that period.I'm surprised that the RMT isn't pressing  for gatemen to be reintroduced.

Alan Brainsby ● 5660d

So what do you know about the cameras? Are they all working? What is the quality of the images they record? How often do they not record? Do they have eyes to see everywhere? Do they phone up the police during an incident? Do they let elders or the vulnerable through the gates at all hours when the traveller gets into a fuddle with or loses their ticket, or the ticket stiops working?  Do they phone the ambulance when someone has a heart attack? How many people sitting in front of cameras nod off to sleep? What happens when someone wants to have a pee? what happens when there is a flu bug in the monitoring office and half the camera watchers are in bed sick? How high is the sick leave rate? How motivated are the staff? Years ago LUL staff were known to have very low motivation levels. Cameras do some of the job and assist the site staff. Since cameras were introdced some long time ago, how many staff were accordingly made redundant? Just what is the minimum which is acceptable. Not only are the staff needed to take action, but also they are, as is the case with the police, needed to maintain the perception that the public is being looked after. Especially when you consider that we are pretty high risk as regards terrorism.What did fascinate me though was when Bob Crow recently said on TV that he did not recognise the middle classes. Word for word - poor sad soul.

George Knox ● 5660d

Escorting VIPs onto platforms or upstairs and out of the station is all part of the service! Stations are manned 24hrs 364 days. Therefore when your wife or daughter goes through the station late at night there is always somebody there. If they press the help point the camera automatically zooms in and staff can help or react to a problem. Saying "up yours RMT" is basically putting 2 fingers up at the hundreds of station staff who are not only trying to keep their jobs secure but also enjoy providing customer service.Do you want the underground to end up like National Rail?

Pete Gregory ● 5660d

My blind father is always grateful to the ticket staff who come down to the platform to see him out of the stations in Ealing (Broadway and North Ealing).It does seem to me that these job cuts are simply an excuse to attack one of the few remaining indutrial unions in this coutry.To ask "when was the last time a booking clerk physically involved in a passenger safety problem?" is unfair.It is like me asking how often someone intervenes in an assault on the street, stops young thugs smashing up a bus stop, told a group of hoodies to pick up their litter ... it's not always easy to be brave, is it?I'm not asking for heroes, but I want station staff to at least be present when my wife returns home late at night, if only to call the police in the event of an incident.It's strange how LUL staff, who were so highly praised at the time of the London bominggs, have become the subjects of such bile and anger so quickly.  Sad.

Mark Walker ● 5660d

And when was the last time a booking clerk physically involved in a passenger safety problem?The booking clerk has a continuous view out onto the ticket hall and is able to monitor if there are any problems...he is the one who will generally answer the help points...he deals with numerous enquires as well as selling tickets...he is able to monitor the cameras...and during an incident while the supervisor is dealing with a customer he will be manning the phones...talking to emergency services or the line controller or waiting outside for the ambulance or police to arrive...I think he gets pretty much personally involved in an incicident...don't you?

Pete Gregory ● 5660d

"...the ticket hall closures due to safety."And when was the last time a booking clerk physically involved in a passenger safety problem?There are more cameras monitoring Underground stations than probably and other area in public areas. What next? Manned bus stops, double-glazed bus stop shelters?This action is purely about job removal.As an aside on safety: regarding the runaway works train on the Northern Line recently I wonder which union the staff belonged to who were responsible for that train's maintenance?

Alan Brainsby ● 5662d

Also I do not agree with the ticket hall closures due to safety. What I was implying is that this strike for me seemed to have little impact. Maybe the tube workers should go after the management instead of the innocent individual. I remember hearing of Willy Walsh being held to ransom on a plane by cabin crew demanding answers for BA's cuts! Now that's how to do it!!!

Emma Daniels ● 5663d

I wish I could have taken my car but had to dop it at the garage as a result of a bad hit and run!!!!

Emma Daniels ● 5663d

But striking is never going to achieve the reversal of a policy of this sort. How can it? Seems wholly futile to me

Sara Nathan ● 5663d

Ultimately the reason for this strike action is for our safetly. The last thing I want is to be at a station with no one there to help if I need it - hoodies or otherwise.I manged to travel to work without too much hassle today - I got the district line to Tower Hill, it was a bit crowded and the train used was a circle line train, but I got to work a few minutes earlier than normal. I do have to say though that the people who live Wimbledon way seem to have escaped the disruption both times - I wonder why....

J Smith ● 5663d

er hang on, are you forgetting what this strike is about?Some stations will no longer be staffed, if the ticket machine breaks down, how you going to buy a ticket or put money on your Oyster card, which lets face it was forced upon us in the first place.Benefits are being cut, less Police on the beat, you could be coming home one night and find yourself in a deserted station except for the group of hoodys who folllowed you in.Don't get me wrong, I don't support strikes, but do you really think closing ticket offices is a good idea?

G Lord ● 5663d

Emma, you should have taken your car today. FU2

Kevin Hone ● 5663d

hi everyone - why is everyone moaning? a tube strike? So what? Commute by bike, feel the benefits of a predictable, quick, cheap journey and you will never want to take the tube again - strike or no strike!

Ben Owen ● 5663d

good luck to all those getting home tonight, hope it was better than getting in, although I had a great experience , impressed with the staff that managed to break the strike. GOOD TO YOU!!!!

Emma Daniels ● 5663d

me again you will love this (apologies for the swearing)http://www.backingblair.co.uk/london_underground/

Emma Daniels ● 5664d

Emma Daniels ● 5664d