Many people have been asking what is the dispute all about, below is an extract of an email sent by your Branch Secretary to Heads of Tube Lines and LUL. The email chain regards incidents in possessions and the company view that there is nothing wrong.
The email was sent the day after management refused to suspend section 15 Possessions and then two further possession incidents occurred that very night.
“…….It is interesting times we live in. I am not sure what individual will be blamed for this error or indeed the one for LU Incident – 51703336, but I have little doubt that someone will be held up to not followed a process or instruction correctly. This blame, in my opinion, should not be laid at whatever person is decided to be held accountable, but should be placed fairly and squarely on those on your side of the table that are allowed these processes to continue. I put it to you that a better, more productive and safer culture would be to draw back and examine, along with us, in a systematic manner, the inadequacies that lay before us, that our union believe will end in tragedy. Suspend these processes completely in the name of safety first and sit round a table and talk
However, I am also sure, that whatever you find the reality of the situation that you and your colleagues are facing, is that we are informing you, in as emphatic a way as is possible that you have implemented a process, that has casualised a safe system of work, allowing human error to creep in at every level without correct checks and balances that are necessary for us to be safe at work. We are informing you that inadequate briefings are being carried out that are no mitigation for formal training and are wholly inadequate for staff to know what they should be doing and allowing the knowledge and confidence that others are doing their job properly too.
We all have our stories and mine is no different to many insofar as we have all lost friends and colleagues to accidents that are as avoidable as they are tragic. The common factor is usually not the major element or major failure of process but the build up of small acts and omissions that coincide to form a pathway of inevitable consequence. The decision is yours, the consequence will fall on us
That remains the reason we are in dispute, because people like me have sworn to our members that we will shed tears, toil and sweat on their behalves, but will not stand idly by when we truly believe they are in serious and imminent danger. We will therefore oppose this process, not through political motivation, not for benefit or gain, but through fear that the decisions you make are wrong and that we will pay the price.
Regards Paul J….”