back together"
This is a complete contrast to the normal divisions in dealing with LUL.
Two days later the result of that unity was apparent. There was a near 100 per cent stoppage of underground trains across london. 'here were more neonle volunteering for picket duty and less scabbing.
It is a good feeling. We know that as long as we keep it that way we can win.
Management has always profited from the division of the unions. But this time their "understanding" with ASLEF leaders has broken down under pressure from rank-and-file train operators and guards.
Tony Blair's weasel call for us to end our strike pending arbitration has not been a subject of interest. The only people to talk about him are reporters.
Did we feel "betrayed" by Tony Blair? Answer: "No, the geezer never supported us in the first place". Dissatisfied, the reporter wandered off to interview members of the public.
What seems to upset a lot of the establishment is that workers are actually going on the offensive for. once. Calls for strikes to be banned in the public sector shows us that we are on the right track.
7951-8657. Published by Aurora Led THE MEDIA and LUL are trying to undermine support for our strike by constant exaggerated references to so-called high pay. There is no doubt that they would be much happier if we were worse paid, but our pay is not the issue. We want a reduction in stress levels and the best way to achieve that is a shorter working week More and more train operators are ill with stress, simply because management restructuring has intensified work load -especially the switch to one person operations and the forced introduction of the Company Plan.
Teams of consultants have designed ways of working us harder. Flexible rostering, remote booking on and off for work at different locations and unpaid meal relief mean that our working days are longer, even though our contractual 38.5 hours per week are shorter than they used to be. minutes further productivity measures. But the main thing is to unite and win.
Parts of our day are effectively unpaid. We have to operate a train continuously for up to four hours and forty five Last year LUL promised an hour off the week in 1996 depending upon improved business performance.
Performance went up last year whatever standards you use — recognised by the navments to LUl bosses. But man. agement insist that we pay for the hour off the week with They are hitting us with restructuring and cuts in staff -we are responding with demands for a shorter week We want the hour we were promised last year, plus another half an hour for this year and a timetable to take us to a 35 hour week. There are some differences between the unions over how a shorter working week would be implemented.