RMT to ballot for strike action.

Danthus · 22 Jan 2015 at 13:52

Commuters across London could face fresh Tube strikes next month after union bosses called for a walkout in protest over a train driver who was sacked for allegedly failing an alcohol breath test.

The RMT union has called a strike ballot across all Tube lines to begin next Monday, with the result due in on 10 February, the Evening Standard reports. It says a 24-hour walkout could begin as early as Tuesday 17 February.

Nigel Holness, London Underground’s (LU) Operations Director for the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines, said it has a zero tolerance policy towards alcohol and said the employee failed the random test twice.

He subsequently conceded that he had consumed alcohol prior to his shift. Had he taken control of a train as he intended that day, the individual’s choice to consume alcohol prior to commencing work would have put his customers’ and colleagues’ lives in danger.

Any suggestion of strike action is, therefore, completely unjustified and we urge all staff to reject this unnecessary ballot.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...edly-failing-alcohol-breath-test-9990838.html

I would be interested to hear the RMT's take on this. There only argument can be that procedure wasn't followed?

doodah · 22 Jan 2015 at 13:58

Way to gain public support. Driverless trains please. Is there more to this? It sounds beyond ridiculous.

Deleted member 66701 · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:03

I don't have enough information on the case in question to form a concrete opinion, however, on the information that is available, I would assume that the ballot is being used as a tool to put pressure on an intransigent employer in order to open negotiations with a view to reaching a mutually agreeable resolution.

I doubt there is any intention of following through with a strike at this stage and the ballot is simply being used as a negotiating tactic due to the limited other means employees and unions have in initiating dialogue with bad employers.

Abraxaz1 · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:03

It really is like the 70s for the unions. He broke the rules and regulations, there is no defence he's entitled to. The sooner they bring in a fully automated underground the better.

Danthus · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:04

amigafan2003 said:
I don't have enough information on the case in question to form an opinion.

The RMT disputer that he was drinking at work, I can see no comment from them regarding the failed breath tests.

http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/dismissal--a-mcguigan--train-operator--morden/

doodah · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:07

How can the allegation be untrue, with TfL quick retracting it? Yet the driver admitted drinking prior* to starting his shift?

*how prior?

Deleted member 66701 · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:08

Abraxaz1 said:
It really is like the 70s for the unions. He broke the rules and regulations, there is no defence he's entitled to. The sooner they bring in a fully automated underground the better.

How do you know he broke the rules?

platypus · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:09

xibinim said:
Way to gain public support. Driverless trains please. Is there more to this? It sounds beyond ridiculous.

Will wait to hear what RMT have to say as there must be more to it.

Cosimo · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:11

How pathetic. I can't see any reason for going ahead with this action yet alone for a strike ballot. The sooner we have legislation preventing this lot from disrupting London's transport network the better.

Danthus · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:11

platypus said:
Will wait to hear what RMT have to say as there must be more to it.

Well they have been clear in their denials that the driver was drinking but so far don't appear to have commented on the failed breath tests.

Deleted member 66701 · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:11

platypus said:
Will wait to hear what RMT have to say as there must be more to it.

http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/dismissal--a-mcguigan--train-operator--morden/

Deleted member 66701 · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:12

Cosimo said:
How pathetic. I can't see any reason for going ahead with this action yet alone for a strike ballot. The sooner we have legislation preventing this lot from disrupting London's transport network the better.

Yeah, then they can sack people for any reason they like. that will be progress.

Judgeneo · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:16

xibinim said:
Way to gain public support. Driverless trains please. Is there more to this? It sounds beyond ridiculous.

Indeed.

London underground driver pay: £42k - £52k
London bus driver pay: £17k - £30k

One has to monitor passengers, dodge vehicles, and respond to quickly changing events.
One has a support team to monitor passengers, makes a few announcements, and moves in straight lines.

estebanrey · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:17

Commuters across London could face fresh Tube strikes next month after union bosses called for a walkout in protest over a train driver who was sacked for allegedly failing an alcohol breath test.

I work in the public sector and see this kind of thing from our Unions all the time. The Union rep keeps badgering me to join and everytime I tell him the same thing..."You protect the bad employees. You fight for the wrong people and as someone who think he deserves to be sacked for some of the things you fight for, I'd rather go without".

Where I work no one gets sacked. If someone has severely broken policy and they have to go they get asked to resign and get 3 or 4 months wages as a golden goodbye. It really annoys me as part of my job involves dealing with complaints about our crew and very often I know its one of the bad apples but nothing will get done.

platypus · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:23

amigafan2003 said:
http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/dismissal--a-mcguigan--train-operator--morden/

"Brother McGuigan" - seriously?

How come there's no rebuttal about twice failing a breath test?

arknor · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:28

amigafan2003 said:
Yeah, then they can sack people for any reason they like. that will be progress.

how about they all support him to get his job back yea...
Then when he drives a train drunk and detrails it , kills some passengers or whatever... everyone who supported this chap to give him a 3rd chance of an accident goes to jail with him?

acceptable solution surely

Cosimo · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:29

amigafan2003 said:
Yeah, then they can sack people for any reason they like. that will be progress.

Maybe if they worked to have an amicable relationship with management things could be worked out in a more reasonable way but the RMT appears to be stuck in an us/them permanent conflict situation which never gets anything resolved amicably. Like the dinosaurs they will become extinct.

dowie · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:31

OldCoals said:
The RMT disputer that he was drinking at work, I can see no comment from them regarding the failed breath tests.

http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/dismissal--a-mcguigan--train-operator--morden/

Yet he hadn't been accused of drinking at work rather drinking before his shift and failing a breath test...

I think we need more laws to curb unions such as the RMT, potential holding an entire city to ransom, disrupting so many commuters.. all because a line pleb failed a breath test twice is ridiculous. It is going to be a few years before we can get driverless trains but stopping this union from carrying on as they have been ought to be pursued ASAP.

Amp34 · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:35

amigafan2003 said:
I don't have enough information on the case in question to form a concrete opinion, however, on the information that is available, I would assume that the ballot is being used as a tool to put pressure on an intransigent employer in order to open negotiations with a view to reaching a mutually agreeable resolution.

I doubt there is any intention of following through with a strike at this stage and the ballot is simply being used as a negotiating tactic due to the limited other means employees and unions have in initiating dialogue with bad employers.

So basically they the unions are blackmailing TFL to come to an agreement about either a driver that appears to have failed two alcohol tests or something completely unrelated, but this gives them an excuse?

And the RMT wonder why they are so despised by the General public, and unions wonder why most people see them as useless groups of a bygone era...

Amp34 · 22 Jan 2015 at 14:43

OldCoals said:
The RMT disputer that he was drinking at work, I can see no comment from them regarding the failed breath tests.

http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/dismissal--a-mcguigan--train-operator--morden/

Our offer to call off the action in return for a commitment that the company would honour any employment tribunal decision to reinstate Brother McGuigan was also rejected.

That however, does seem a bit odd... I thought employment tribunal decisions were mandatory?

RMT to ballot for strike action.

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