ASLEF demand guarantees on Underground terms and conditions and agreements.

ASLEF The Train Drivers Union has written to London Underground management to demand they provide assurances that they will abide by all current working agreements and the Machinery of Negotiation.

Since the start of the pandemic crises, our reps and members have shown huge flexibility to keep services operating. While thousands of TfL staff have been on furlough or working from home, train drivers have been reporting for duty every day risking their own safety.

But instead of replicating that good will, management forced through duty sheets that took no account of the risks to staff, deducted pay from drivers who raised health and safety concerns and continue to ignore the concerns we raise.

We have now been told that because of the financial costs of the pandemic, staff will face “efficiency” measures and more cuts. Government appointed auditors are to examine the structure of the organisation and will insist on changes as part of a long-term funding package. Instead of being thanked for their service, frontline staff will face attacks on their pay, pensions and conditions of service.

ASLEF recognise the challenges of the current situation and we are always prepared to have sensible discussions. But we can not accept the threat of imposed changes to working conditions we have fought for decades to achieve.

That is why we have asked management for an unequivocal guarantee that they will commit to “adhering to the agreed Machinery of Negotiation and Health and Safety Machinery and will confirm that they will not impose any changes to our members terms and conditions of employment or to the Trains Framework agreement or any other agreement reached with ASLEF at any level of the machinery without specific agreement of ASLEF at the appropriate level of the machinery.”

Our aim is sensible and reasonable. We are simply asking that management accept that any changes must come about through our agreed process and by agreement not by unilateral imposition.

We have asked that management respond within 14 days with the required assurances and we will report back to members and the ASLEF Executive Committee with their reply.