Friday 21 August 2015


It’s certainly been an interesting week, I’ve heard some of my colleagues saying that no one wants to work Night Tube but I’ve had others saying that if their depot doesn’t get Night Tube they’ll put in a transfer to one that does.  I’ve heard fellow ASLEF members saying that we should all go on strike next week along with RMT members saying that the strike should be called off.  To say that opinion is mixed would certainly be an understatement.

Meanwhile at ACAS ASLEF and RMT reps have put forward a joint position to management on the Train side with more talks today but RMT say while there has been progress they will not call off the strike until an acceptable offer has been made to Engineering, Fleet, Service Control and Stations.  For myself I think the strike is unnecessary, management are retreating while the overtime ban in the depots is leading to trains being cancelled or developing faults while in service and having to be withdrawn.

Yesterday I was covering for HAI who have loads of people out sick, my first half started in the depot where the only train available was the one being used for ATOR.  On the second half they had to renumber a train that was about to go out of service at RUG to make up the second to last EPP train.  I've even heard an IOp complaining that one day both their trains were cancelled so they had to check around to see who they could take off in order to get some training done.

Night Tube has been shelved and if it happens it probably won’t be until next year, February or March have both been rumoured.  We’ve shown management what we can do if they push this issue, the strikes did their job, we don’t need to emphasise the point.

42 comments:

  1. Completely agree with you.

    Strikes next week will achieve nothing. We've shown we won't be bullied into having our home lives ruined and if management try to do that again we call more industrial action.

    Time now to talk and negotiate. Not to stand around trying to show how big and tough we are!!

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    1. Just seen on the BBC website RMT, TSSA and Unite will decided what they're going to do Monday.

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    2. Because they are not moving on issues on station side. It's ok being train side and saying we have proved we wont be bullied but the RMT are a Transport workers union remember representing all grades including train ops. At the end of the day ASLEF are transport workers as well but by saying you are a drivers union sounds like you are distancing yourself from all other grades of transport workers. Support each other especially during these difficult times.

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    3. We’re not distancing ourselves from anything just simply stating a fact, ASLEF is a train drivers union, we don’t have any other grades apart from managers who were once train drivers and wanted to stay in the union. If our reps feel that management are offering a good deal for drivers they can’t justify asking us to strike because stations, engineering or service control aren’t getting the same.

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    4. Not forgetting station staff, who were ex Drivers who have stayed loyal, to ASLEF because off the deal, they got when they could no longer because of medical restrictions remain Drivers. RMT recently had 2 strike ballots for station staff so they can only instruct other grades to support station staff, over pay and night tube and not 'Fit for future'.

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    5. Yes but it would help if people (all unions) remembered trade union principle and traditions when it comes to picket lines. Management know that buy getting ASLEF to work then they can fill stations with all sorts of other workers and keep main ones open thus breaking the other unions resolve.

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    6. I do feel as a RMT member it is easier for me this week if strike goes ahead just to not come into work.It is more difficult for ASLEF members this week in deciding what to do Does anyone know why there could be no talks this weekend why wait until Monday.

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    7. RMT's strike action is completely politically motivated. Let's not fool ourselves. They've used the night tube issue to try and force through other issues they have with LU, namely ticket office closures and job losses, they lost those fights and are trying to win a battle on the back of night tube. It's disgraceful really. I'm glad I'm in no union and can't be railroaded into a strike and lose money for others who came to work on strike days. Unions are all corrupt, ALL of them. One change of law and all unions will cease to exist on the underground. Then we will see how all these hard nosed union reps go brown nosing it to management!!!! I AM TRUTH.

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    8. As an ex train council member I believe I know a thing or two about how unions work. London underground will be here long after the unions. Technology is changing, the future is coming, deal with it. I AM TRUTH.

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    9. Most t/ops and I/ops I know are qualified to do zip,nothing, nowt outside of the London underground bubble, time to wake up and get some qualifications that will get you jobs when the hammer falls on you guys. It WILL happen, and it will happen alot sooner than you are all being told. Trains are already being constructed and tested with no driver, they have already run trains at night on several lines with no drivers on board. I have been told by a senior LU manager that, and I quote "we only need to keep the unions on side for another five years, after that it's payback time!". I AM TRUTH.

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    10. How do I deal with it?

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    11. I AM TRUTH, wow, lets see so far you've claimed to be an ex-member of the GLC which was abolished in 1986, that you are an ex-trains council member but no longer in a union and that you have been told by a senior manager that the Tube will be fully driverless before they've finished installing ATO on the Sub Surface Lines. Did management also tell you how driverless trains will work on the Piccadilly and Bakerloo Lines with just coloured light signals and tripcocks? Or how they are going to operate north of Queens Park and south of Gunnersbury on Network Rail track?

      I AM LAUGHING.

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    12. Er... I AM TRUTH is probably fibbing about his credentials. However. He/she/they (think tank person probably?) isn't entirely wrong about "radical" plans for the future of The Tube. They are all possible... bar the costing and funding. He is definitely right about "brown nosing" Reps.lol. He is definitely right about a union free tube being discussed in "high circles". However. In a far flung future (30 years from now) it is possible that only (lets say) 10 people will be running the whole tube. They may all be management grade, negotiate their pay on an individual basis and all come from the "right" professional background. However, it wont stop them talking to each other. It wont stop them being greedy. They will one day stop the whole tube for whatever reason they like. Morale? The more that things change. The more they will stay the same. Solution. Communication. Keep talking to each other. Its the greatest achievement of humanity. Management should have had this rammed down their throats by the unions.The last lot of strikes and RMTs continued action is entirely the result of management failures. To let these types of idiots be responsible for a future tube is an insult to all of humanity. I love this forum. lol

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    13. In a roundabout way you are right. I remember seeing Our Man (Finn) on telly with The Virgin Steve Griffiths. Our Man got to an exasperated point where he was asking Griffiths to go for a "coffee" to sort out the issues. To discuss things. Man to man. Informally. A bit of bonding and rapport building. Griffiths just sat there like the big fat round plum that he is. Communication really is the key!

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    14. There was a very senior LU person who used to be in the lead at many negotiations. He was a smoker (gave up later!). Many of the TU leaders were also smokers. Clearly smoking break were necessary so as to pollute the street, not the office. Many a deal was formulated in a smoking break!

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    15. RE: 24 August 2015 @1245. Communication is indeed the key. To reduce stockpiles of nuclear arms a process had to be developed to allow USA/USSR to first sit down together. "Talks about talks to talk about cutting missiles". ha ha. Seems to me that LUL/Unions need this. Would be nice if the office of the London Mayor/TUC could help develop such a process. ASAS seems to fall far short in helping to bring a less acrimonious start/conclusion to these dispute. RE: small groups of people with power abusing their positions. Think of those LIBOR rate setting "professionals". A small group of immoral people across a number of banks "fixing" rates so they profited. Concentrating power and influence in the hands of ever decreasing number of people is a very very bad idea. LUL must either get rid of ALL the humans or none at all. Its a dilemma. Something I fear LUL managers have shown they are not up to tackling. Good luck with that!

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    16. "However. In a far flung future (30 years from now) it is possible that only (lets say) 10 people will be running the whole tube"

      Utter bollocks. Why do you post such garbage?

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    17. "Why do you post such garbage?"
      WTF!
      Just as an eye opener and because it is entirely possible. Automated Train Operation since 1960s. Driverless cars. Individual Personal Pods at Heathrow Term 5. Advanced 5th or 6th generation GPS. Advanced AI etc etc.
      Its all coming soonish. The rate of technological change is gathering apace. It will all be operated and guided by our tablet/smartphone or equivalent.
      Its only the cost of it that is keeping it out of our daily lives.
      The point is that all Managers are doing is taking the "power" from Drivers and putting into the hands of a smaller even more "elite" group.
      Hamlin got the Pied Piper in to take care of the rats. Then when The Piper wasn't paid. He took Hamlin's kids!
      That's the future! Don't IGNORE it. Fight it! For your kids' sake for f**k sake.

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    18. Lol. I doooo love my "!" I AM EXCLAMATION!!!!!!!!

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    19. Consider this.

      Thales have just stepped in to take over the mess Bombardier made of introducing ATO on the Sub-Surface Lines, they estimate that the job won't be completed until 2023 at the earliest. Until that is finished LU won't start converting the Piccadilly, Bakerloo, Central and Waterloo & City Lines to driverless operation, they estimate that will take around ten years but until all the old rolling stock has been replaced and platform edge doors installed the new trains will have to be driven manually. That means they will have to negotiate with the unions like the Paris Metro had to do before they converted Ligne 1.

      That will still leave 70% of trains needing a driver in the cab, unless the1995, 1996, 2009 and S Stock can be converted to driverless operation then LU aren’t going to replace them until they need replacing so complete automation is still a long way off but even when they are fully automated they will probably still have a member of staff on board for emergencies. Unless someone repeals the Fire Precautions (Sub Surface Railways) Regulations 2009 all “Section 12” stations will still need a minimum number of staff trained to a certain level while both service control and engineering will still need staff, indeed they will probably need more than at present.

      I repeat, 10 people running the whole Tube in 30 years; garbage. I don't have kids and with only 12 years until retirement I'm not expecting to have any or to be replaced by Robbie the Robot.

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    20. There is a good article on London Reconnections regarding the new trains and Piccadilly line signalling upgrade. Earliest date for "driverless" would be 2032 - possibly Waterloo and City line first then Central. I think 2032 is optimistic considering the extra cost and delays on recent signalling contract. For other lines (with shared track, curved platforms, signalling and other complicating issues) the timescales would be much longer. Short to medium term more drivers will be needed not less due to increased frequency and longer op. Hours. Even when drivers are abolished in 30 40 or 50 years time there will be a need for operators on the trains for emergency detrainments in tunnels - and in peak hours might well be best for them to be in a seperate compartment at the front of the train.... I sincerely hope I am the Truth has adjusted his meds.

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    21. I love London Reconnections, great writing.

      The last thing I saw from LU said the Piccadilly Line would be first although I've heard differing things about whether the Central and W&C or the Bakerloo would be next. When the 2009 and the S Stock were being introduced they were arriving at a rate of about one a week, if the 1973s were replaced at the same rate it would take about a year and a half before they had enough to run a full peak service.

      The problem with PEDs is that unless the doors of the new trains match up to the doors on the old ones they can't be installed until after the old stock has been fully replaced and as the 1972, 1973 and 1992 stock all have doors in different alignments it would mean a different door configuration on the new trains for all three lines which might not be possible considering all the gubbins we have under the seats.

      I'll retire 2027, 2028 at the latest after that I'll resume my pre-1997 condition and be a full-time passenger again

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  2. Does anyone know who the UNITE Reps are? Or how they can be contacted? I have not seen any notices or literature around the depots promoting their union. I do hope someone can help. Knowing full well how partisan Drivers cans be about their particular union and even though I enjoy a good laugh, I will thank you to keep your biased comments to yourself. I require genuine replies for an urgent matter. Thanks.

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  3. For anonymous 21/8 16:43

    Unite's web site

    http://www.unitetheunion.org/growing-our-union/joinunite/


    If you are in Twitter contact @UniteInLUL they are one of the reps involved in the Acas meetings.

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  4. I see part of this is quoted in today's (24th August) Standard as highlighting "the split between staff and the unions." (You are credited as "a Tube driver in a blog.")

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  5. SIR: I was linked to your blog on the website reddit.com. Your insight is perhaps the only factual and sensible sentiments I've received over the last 2 months.

    Would you be interested in doing an Ask Me Anything? More details here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reddit#IAmA_and_AMA

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    1. I see all unions have bottled it along with the brown nosers of aslef. Thank god I'm not in a union, let's face it,we have no idea what your so called representatives are discussing behind closed doors,you pay them alot of money to be told very little and kept in the dark about what's going on,all of a sudden the strikes are off,then you'll get s little poster go up in your depots telling you how great the unions are and what they've won for you. They are crooks. I learnt that along time ago. They are only interested in prolonging they're own existence. Do yourselves a favour,get out now before the law changes and being in a union gets you sacked. I AM TRUTH

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    2. Sorry to disappoint at 18.03 I didn't use my name. The TRUTH hurts.

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    3. No one is disappointed that you didn't use your name as no-one cares about your half baked conspiracy theory drivel. I pay the union, what about £200 a year? However the Unions are responsible for way more of my yearly salary than that so it's cheap at twice the price.

      There not perfect by any stretch but they're needed more than ever now. Also your arguments (poorly constructed as they are) make no sense. You say Aslef are Brown Nosers for not striking and the RMT are crooks for striking. You need to work on your thesis a bit more before putting it out there.



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  6. Thankyou for replying. However, anger is not the way my friend. I understand that the unions have indeed gained much for your grade. I'm merely stated truths that I have extensive knowledge of in my many years in the job. My advice to you, keep believing what you are told,the blinder you get the easier you fall off that cliff. Please continue to not believe me. 😭

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  7. £22.00 per 4 weekly paypacket.(approx) 13x22=286,;286x20 (average career) =5720.
    £5720.00,plus money lost to strike days,plus duties lost to reps,plus rest days lost to reps. The same reps that are on annual leave on strike days but are on the picket lines stopping people coming to work whilst they are paid. Mmmmmmmmm conspiracy or truth. Blind leading the blind. I AM TRUTH.

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    1. I AM TRUTH. I WAS A GLC MEMBER. I WAS ON TRAINS FUNCTIONAL COUNCIL. I AM NOT IN A UNION. MANAGEMENT TALK TO ME. SO DO THE PIXIES. THROUGH MY TIN FOIL HAT. MY BRAIN HURTS,..........

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  8. Strange comments from aslef shrugged. Think I am truth is getting to you. I believe half of what I am truth says is probably true. Seems to know a bit.

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  9. I know who I am truth is. They do have the credentials. They are very near retirement. Unfortunately most and only most by the way Of what they say, scarily is pretty accurate. The rest is wind up material!!!!!

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  10. I would say I am Thr Truth is a good old fashion troll and wind up merchant - gut feeling ex RMT rep but could equally be an ex ASLEF rep.

    Pitty they hide behind a false name as knowing who they are would at least allow us to gauge if any of the drivel they spout has any basis in fact!

    But then again difficult to be open with names when on a public site.

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    1. My favourite bit is how he's now replying to himself lol.

      It's all gone a bit Sparticus. No I'm the truth etc

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    2. NO! I am Sparticus.

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  11. I AM TRUTH the sky is blue, but this month in London its been grey, pass the word.

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    1. No. There is only one truth. And Anonymous (PBUH) is its Messenger.

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  12. Where can I get one of those T shirts that say tube drivers EVERYONE HATES US AND WE DONT CARE

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  13. Re the t-shirt here's the link

    http://teespring.com/tube-driver?utm_source=sendwithus&utm_medium=transactional&utm_campaign=relaunch-u1&utm_content=reservation_promo_code&utm_swu=687

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