When Labour proposed a public private partnership (PPP) part privatisation for London Underground rail unions and passengers were sceptical. But no, we were assured, Labour had learnt from the lessons of the Tory privatisation of the mainline Andrew Wiard railways. This time round PPP would be properly handled with all the benefits of private investment without the disorganisation and safety breaches. So PICKE OFFICIAL PICKET designed and built by a further subcontractor
Because of the complex web of contracts, they were able to pass the buck around and around between themselves. London Underground refused to intervene until forced to do so by the action of its workers.
Infrastructure sector workers report a deskilling of work processes alongside slackening of work standards. For example, previously if a gang was sent to sort out incorrect lateral alignment of the track and found incorrect vertical alignment as well it would fix both alignments at the same time - now they are only allowed to do the job on ticket, leaving a potentially unsafe piece of track to be nxeo at alater date
This has all gone hand in glove with a series of attacks on tube workers' jobs, pay and conditions. A multiplication of new employers, contractors and sub-contractors has seen a cohesive group of workers on standard pay and conditions facing major disparities in terms and conditions.
Job security is threatened with workers being potentially moved around between different companies. Consortia managers have awarded themselves large bonuses whilst pushing down workers' pay and benefits.
The commercial imperative at the heart of PPP affects not just the intrastructure workers now in the private sector but also the operational staff who have remained with London Underground. As a result industrial relations have become a minefield.
The RMT's reputation as a union which is always calling strikes is only we natural response or a umon picpared to stand up to defend its members.
Ken Livingstone started off in opposition to PPP. Back in Labour's fold he now works within it. The logic of his position has led him to turn on tube workers, siding with the bosses attacking the RMT for defending its members.
In 2001 then Transport for London Commissioner Bob Kiley said that PPP was, "unsafe and unmanageable, would not deliver value for money and the proposed contract terms would not properly protect the public interest."
Kiley has moved on, and Ken Livingstone has dropped his opposition to PPP but it is clear that, as the RMT said at the time, "PPP is so flawed that it is beyond reform."
It is clearly time that the whole PPP privatisation is scrapped and all the underground system is brought
InTO one single London Underground, properly funded direct from public funds under public control.