Thought I would be the first to post this.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11064903


My only comment is regarding the statement by Caroline Pidgeon that
""If staff numbers are severely reduced it will become far more
difficult for staff to help disabled and vulnerable customers and
other people who need assistance, including visitors."

Firstly, staff numbers are not being reduced, because LU have already
guaranteed that there will be no compulsory redundancies. Secondly, if
staff are not working in the ticket office, they will be available in
the station to "..help disabled and vulnerable customers,,,,"

Another case of a politician jumping on a bandwagon, which may become
a useful form of transport if the strikes go ahead.

In article ,
Paul wrote:
Firstly, staff numbers are not being reduced, because LU have already
guaranteed that there will be no compulsory redundancies. Secondly, if
staff are not working in the ticket office, they will be available in
the station to "..help disabled and vulnerable customers,,,,"

Staff not being reduced does not follow from no compulsory redundencies.
Firstly, there is the possibility of voluntry redundencies; secondly,
there could be a plan for a wind down in the numbers through not
recruiting as people resign / move on / retire.

Also, if the plan is to move people from behind the ticket office
counter at country stations, and move them to roles on the "station
floor" in central london stations, then there may be fewer people
available to help disabled and vulnerable customers at the contry
end.

I doubt we know enough about LuLs plans to realistically judge the
real impact of their proposals. I would hope that the union and
politicians involved have that knowledge - partially because they
can put the time into finding out, and partially because they have
the ear of LuL - but I suspect I'm being a triffle optimistic.

In short: I don't believe the spin, as reported, of anyone.

--
Mike Bristow

On Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:29:28 -0700 (PDT), Paul wrote:
Firstly, staff numbers are not being reduced, because LU have already
guaranteed that there will be no compulsory redundancies.

That doesn't mean there wont be reductions in the number of staff. There
might be voluntary redundancies and I assume there is a natural turnover
of staff anyway which could be not replaced through recruitment.

Secondly, if
staff are not working in the ticket office, they will be available in
the station to "..help disabled and vulnerable customers,,,,"

In theory but it isn't my experience. I'm told that my local station,
Woodside Park, is always staffed even when the ticket office is shut
but on occasion I've been unable to find a member of staff to unlock the
ticket barrier gate and so had to lift a buggy over the barriers. I can
do that but someone in a wheelchair might have more difficulty.

David Walters wrote on 24 August 2010 13:56:38 ...
On Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:29:28 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
Firstly, staff numbers are not being reduced, because LU have already
guaranteed that there will be no compulsory redundancies.

That doesn't mean there wont be reductions in the number of staff. There
might be voluntary redundancies and I assume there is a natural turnover
of staff anyway which could be not replaced through recruitment.

Secondly, if
staff are not working in the ticket office, they will be available in
the station to "..help disabled and vulnerable customers,,,,"

In theory but it isn't my experience. I'm told that my local station,
Woodside Park, is always staffed even when the ticket office is shut
but on occasion I've been unable to find a member of staff to unlock the
ticket barrier gate and so had to lift a buggy over the barriers. I can
do that but someone in a wheelchair might have more difficulty.

If staff are not on duty in the ticket hall, the manual gate should be
left unlocked. Did you check that it wouldn't open with a firm push or
pull? If so, that should be reported as a potentially serious lack of
an emergency exit route.
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

On 24 Aug, 13:52, Mike Bristow wrote:
In article ,
* * * * Paul wrote:

Firstly, staff numbers are not being reduced, because LU have already
guaranteed that there will be no compulsory redundancies. Secondly, if
staff are not working in the ticket office, they will be available in
the station to "..help disabled and vulnerable customers,,,,"

Staff not being reduced does not follow from no compulsory redundencies.
Firstly, there is the possibility of voluntry redundencies; secondly,
there could be a plan for a wind down in the numbers through not
recruiting as people resign / move on / retire.

Also, if the plan is to move people from behind the ticket office
counter at country stations, and move them to roles on the "station
floor" in central london stations, then there may be fewer people
available to help disabled and vulnerable customers at the contry
end.

I doubt we know enough about LuLs plans to realistically judge the
real impact of their proposals. *I would hope that the union and
politicians involved have that knowledge - partially because they
can put the time into finding out, and partially because they have
the ear of LuL - but I suspect I'm being a triffle optimistic.

In short: *I don't believe the spin, as reported, of anyone.

--
Mike Bristow * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Doesn't each station have a minimum staffing requirement, without
which it is unable to open? I am not aware that this is going to
change.

On Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:27:51 +0100, Richard
J. wrote:
David Walters wrote on 24 August 2010 13:56:38 ...
On Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:29:28 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
Secondly, if
staff are not working in the ticket office, they will be available in
the station to "..help disabled and vulnerable customers,,,,"

In theory but it isn't my experience. I'm told that my local station,
Woodside Park, is always staffed even when the ticket office is shut
but on occasion I've been unable to find a member of staff to unlock the
ticket barrier gate and so had to lift a buggy over the barriers. I can
do that but someone in a wheelchair might have more difficulty.

If staff are not on duty in the ticket hall, the manual gate should be
left unlocked. Did you check that it wouldn't open with a firm push or
pull?

Yup, it was firmly locked.

If so, that should be reported as a potentially serious lack of
an emergency exit route.

To who?

I did email customer services with a bit of a rant and asking if I should
push the emergency all gate open button thingy. I can't find their reply
at the moment but they claimed that just because I couldn't see or find
any staff that doesn't mean there weren't any watching the barrier line
and they would be monitoring it via CCTV. I assume they were laughing
while drinking their tea as I struggled to lift a buggy over the barriers.

I don't really mean the last bit but it can be frustrating when there
are no staff about.

On Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:00:44 -0700 (PDT), Paul wrote:
Doesn't each station have a minimum staffing requirement, without
which it is unable to open? I am not aware that this is going to
change.

Isn't that for stations which are below ground?

David Walters wrote on 24 August 2010 15:02:41 ...
On Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:27:51 +0100, Richard
wrote:
David wrote on 24 August 2010 13:56:38 ...
On Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:29:28 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
Secondly, if
staff are not working in the ticket office, they will be available in
the station to "..help disabled and vulnerable customers,,,,"

In theory but it isn't my experience. I'm told that my local station,
Woodside Park, is always staffed even when the ticket office is shut
but on occasion I've been unable to find a member of staff to unlock the
ticket barrier gate and so had to lift a buggy over the barriers. I can
do that but someone in a wheelchair might have more difficulty.

If staff are not on duty in the ticket hall, the manual gate should be
left unlocked. Did you check that it wouldn't open with a firm push or
pull?

Yup, it was firmly locked.

If so, that should be reported as a potentially serious lack of
an emergency exit route.

To who?

I did email customer services with a bit of a rant and asking if I should
push the emergency all gate open button thingy. I can't find their reply
at the moment but they claimed that just because I couldn't see or find
any staff that doesn't mean there weren't any watching the barrier line
and they would be monitoring it via CCTV.

So why didn't this person see your problem and come out and help? In
practice there would not be anyone *dedicated* to watching the gate line
on CCTV. There might be someone with a whole bank of screens to monitor,
and he'll probably pay more attention to those showing the platform when
there's a train there.

I believe there used to be a rule that gates were all to be closed if
the ticket office was manned (because it has remote gate release
buttons), but nowadays the staff on duty are likely to be in a control
room or supervisor's office somewhere else. Are there any LU staff here
who can say what the current rule is about unlocking the manual gate
when the gate line and ticket office are not staffed?
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

On Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:27:25 +0100, Richard
J. wrote:
David Walters wrote on 24 August 2010 15:02:41 ...
I did email customer services with a bit of a rant and asking if I should
push the emergency all gate open button thingy. I can't find their reply
at the moment but they claimed that just because I couldn't see or find
any staff that doesn't mean there weren't any watching the barrier line
and they would be monitoring it via CCTV.

So why didn't this person see your problem and come out and help? In
practice there would not be anyone *dedicated* to watching the gate line
on CCTV. There might be someone with a whole bank of screens to monitor,
and he'll probably pay more attention to those showing the platform when
there's a train there.

I don't know where the staff were because I didn't see them but
this was at Woodside Park where the gates are basically on the
platform (you can just about see them on the left of the photo at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wo..._platforms.jpg ) so I
know there wasn't a train there.

On 24 Aug, 16:42, David Walters wrote:
On Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:27:25 +0100, Richard

J. wrote:
David Walters wrote on 24 August 2010 15:02:41 ....
I did email customer services with a bit of a rant and asking if I should
push the emergency all gate open button thingy. I can't find their reply
at the moment but they claimed that just because I couldn't see or find
any staff that doesn't mean there weren't any watching the barrier line
and they would be monitoring it via CCTV.

So why didn't this person see your problem and come out and help? *In
practice there would not be anyone *dedicated* to watching the gate line
on CCTV. There might be someone with a whole bank of screens to monitor,
and he'll probably pay more attention to those showing the platform when
there's a train there.

I don't know where the staff were because I didn't see them but
this was at Woodside Park where the gates are basically on the
platform (you can just about see them on the left of the photo athttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Woodside_Park_platforms.jpg) so I
know there wasn't a train there.

Much clearer image he
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...southbound.JPG