I don't usually have much sympathy with striking Tube workers, but this dispute is not like the others. We heard that LU had made another pay offer, but this is not primarily a dispute about pay. This is what the ASLEF site says:
"The overwhelming view of our members is that this offer is not acceptable. The main concern is the complete lack of firm commitments on work life balance for train drivers. Our members want guarantees on the number of weekend rest days they will have under both the interim and long term arrangements for night tube. Vague phrases like "will seek to mitigate" and "will explore" are simply unconvincing."
Tube workers already work some fairly unsocial hours, but having large numbers of staff working a full night shift is a big change to working conditions. The view I got from LU friends who are not usually militant is that the management are trying to push this through without appreciating how it will affect the life of those concerned. There are also safety issues if not enough rest time is allowed between night and day shifts. A better pay offer is not the answer.
|