DLR and Tube employers fail to put safety first

Strikes are looking likely on London Underground and the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), as the RMT rail union battles to maintain safety levels.

The union’s 250-plus members on the DLR voted for industrial action this month in a ballot called after operator Serco failed to withdraw reorganisation plans that will reduce the number of safety-critical station staff and slash their pay by up to £5,000.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “We need to see more safety-critical staff on stations, not fewer, and it is outrageous that Serco appears to be wielding the axe to make up for their serious underbidding for the DLR contract.”

The RMT is also in dispute with London Underground and its contractor Metronet, over the removal of “lampmen” without consultation or agreement last month.

The lampmen, who provide lighting for inspection of particularly vulnerable stretches of track, were introduced following the Camden Town and Hammersmith derailments in 2004.