Strikes threatened over Tube safety

London Underground staff unions are threatening strikes and court action if the government's plans to part-privatise the Tube do not guarantee safety.

The unions claim there have not been enough talks with its safety representatives on the Public Private Partnership planned for the Tube.

We will use every avenue if needs be to make sure the system is safe

Bob Crow
RMT

And they are calling for an independent public inquiry to settle the question of safety for the revamped network instead of leaving the decision to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), train drivers' union Aslef, white collar rail union TSSA and the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) set out their concerns in a letter to the HSE on Friday.

Injunction threat

The rail union leaders said they would take out injunctions against both the HSE and London Underground (LU) if there was not proper consultation over safety.

Bob Crow, RMT assistant general secretary, claimed the two organisations might overlook major safety flaws in the rush to introduce the scheme, which includes £13bn of new investment.

There was a "political imperative to force through PPP at any price", he said.

All the relevant unions have been involved throughout the process and their concerns have been considered very carefully by the HSE assessment team

HSE spokeswoman

"Industrial action would be the last resort but we will use every avenue if needs be to make sure the system is safe, including an injunction," continued Mr Crow.

"If our safety representatives say to us that the risks are the same under PPP as now or no less than now then that's the time that we will go for an injunction.

"We would have no hesitation in then balloting our members for industrial action."

The government has won its court battle with Ken Livingstone over the plans but the London Mayor says he will continue to oppose the scheme.

Split fears

The union leaders believe splitting the Tube into four separate entities without a unified management structure could put safety at risk.

Maintenance would be hived out to three private consortia while LU would keep responsibility for operating the network.

The unions are presenting the split as an underground version of the privatisation of the national rail network.

"It is our united view that the PPP safety case has turned into a glorified paper chase that is solely aspirational and bears no relation to what will take place if the PPP is implemented," the letter added.

A positive response next week from the HSE, which must decide the PPP plans are safe before the scheme can go ahead, would help avoid strikes or court action.

Transparent process

A spokeswoman for the HSE said it had tried to make the assessment of PPP's safety "open and transparent".

"All the relevant unions have been involved throughout the process and their concerns have been considered very carefully by the HSE assessment team," she said.

The final decision will be taken by HSE experts who have not been involved in the safety case.

Full consultation

A LU spokesman said: "The safety case will cover not only the operational part of London Underground but all the three infrastructure companies.

"The safety case is being made with the participation of, and full, active consultation with the unions."

The latest development in the PPP controversy comes a day after LU's annual report said the Tube had failed all seven performance targets - including one on customer satisfaction about safety and security.