"Just me and the world" wrote in message ...
There are a lot of rumours flying round about those beer cans etc. But an
awful lot doesn't add up. None of the guys sacked were tested in any way
for the presence of drink, and believe me, LUL has a pretty strict Drugs and
alcohol testing unit. You can't sack a guy because he went into a room
where the offending items were found. The general belief is that the new
owners of the underground (Metronet in this case) are testing the water to
how far they can go before waves are made. The trouble is that the unions
are going to respond 110% behind their members.

I appreciate that as many as a hundred beer cans etc were supposed to have
been found and that alone would be pretty serious, but that just DOESN'T
happen on the underground. Everyone knows that just ONE empty can found in
your possession (without good reason, and there several as to why you can
have one) is instant dismissal.

As I said, an awful lot doesn't add up, but we will have to wait to see what
happens. I wouldn't rule out the possibility of strike action, although
that would be an absolutely last resort. But if that were to happen, then I
doubt very much that it would be just the occasional day her and there.
Personally I would expect a complete stoppage from all departments. Sorry
to so despondent, but that's the way a lot of people are thinking right now.


I recall the RMT stating that nobody tested positive for alcohol.
Apparently Metronet's handling of the disciplinary boards was a little
bit different from the agreed procedures.
Metornet Rail SSL Signals and Track staff have or will be balloted,
and knowing what their union reps are like, I expect a strike to
occur. Especially as the room where the cans were said to have been
found was used by a good deal more than just the people disciplined,
and the staff dismissed have been made scapegoats.

So if there are any signal failures that day, they will stay failing
until a manager arrives (this could be interesting, watching a manager
find a failure...)




"Richard J." wrote in message
...

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/a...ing%20Standard

Haven't the RMT ever heard of Employment Tribunals* as a way of dealing
with unfair dismissals?

* used to be called Industrial Tribunals.

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)