Pickets at Arnos Grove depot get an early start

ROCK SOLID AGAIN!

Following the failure of LUL management to
consult honestly with the unions over their
plans to attack jobs and working conditions on
the job, a second 48-hour strike took place on
!
th
and "#
th
$pril% $nd what a superb effort it
was from all grades within our union, with
some e&cellent support also from $'L(F
members who have seen the writing on the
wall% $s in February, the )iccadilly line led the
way with a near total shutdown on the trains
side, and with many stations forced to close%
*ur thanks go to every member of staff
+regardless of union affiliation, who took part%
-his is unity in action and it gives us a real
chance of defeating the company.s ruinous
plans for the future of the Underground% LUL
and /0- have now resumed talks, but
management wrecked a deal /0- put forward
at $1$' at the last minute by demanding we
give up so we will have to roll up our sleeves
and go again ne&t week and at the time of
writing, the ne&t strike is still on for 2 hours,
starting at 3## on 0onday 4
th
0ay% 5e will
let you know of any changes to this%
ARNOS GROVE DEPOT
*nly eight drivers crossed the picket lines
at $rnos 6rove and *akwood over the two
days of action% -his makes it the best
supported strike at $rnos 6rove ever 7
even better than in February% (ven the
rather pointless 1ockfosters shuttle could
not run for large parts of the strike%
$s in February, the picket line at $rnos
depot was attended by many drivers,
station staff and other supporters during
the course of the strike% 5ith the better
weather, there was almost a party
atmosphere on the line% 'pirits were kept
up with a barbe8ue and drinks, but even
more by the rock solid support of drivers
who stayed away from work and, by so
doing, sent a loud message to LUL bosses that they will not roll us over without a fight%
$lso, to give credit where it is due, local managers gave the pickets no problems, and were more
accommodating than in some previous disputes% -his is how it should be, so we thank them for
that%
Arnos Grove Acton Town Northfields
Piccdill! News
LU say they were running a full service from 1500 hrs on Wednesday
!eally" #orthfields depot tells a different story$
If you fight you won't always win. But if
you dont fight, you will always lose.
Bob Crow
ACTON TO"N AND NORT#$IELDS
-here was a tremendous show of support
from all but a few drivers on the west end
of the )iccadilly line% *ur colleagues in
our sister union understood and
respected our lines% -he camaraderie on
the picket was special9 we all knew as
train ops we were supporting our station
colleagues and, in the long run,
supporting ourselves% -he few drivers
who did work were able to provide
nothing more than a :4 train service
going no further than ;ammersmith%
-here is a savage and sustained attack
coming to all employees of -fL and we
really need to show them we won<t roll
over and it won<t be easy% 5e will protect
the travelling public and we will protect
our pensions%
%rom the left& 'arlos (arros) Gary *ar+ord) Gwyn Pugh) ,haron 'lark-
'allow) .ason (uck and last +ut not least) the super hoop himself /ark
012onoghue
ATTACK ON PENSIONS
LUL has written to the /0- asking for
a meeting to discuss closing the
scheme to new -fL employees% 0ake
no mistake9 this move would adversely
affect not only new staff, but
established staff as well% $s less and
less money went into the scheme, a
point would be reached where the
scheme was no longer sustainable,
giving the company an e&cuse to close
it completely% =eedless to say, we will
oppose this and other attempts to
weaken our pension scheme%
ASLEF VOTE TO BAR NEW
ENTRANTS
>ncredibly, at the recent (&traordinary
6eneral 0eeting of the )ensions
1ommittee, $'L(F voted with the
employers against our motion to allow
all -fL staff to be able to join the
pension scheme% -his motion was put
forward in response to -fL.s refusal to
allow -ubelines staff to join the
scheme, even though -ubelines is
now a wholly owned subsidiary of -fL%
$'L(F also voted against allowing
staff to transfer in accumulated
pensions from other schemes% $'L(F
members should worry that their
leaders are actively weakening the
pension scheme and ask this
8uestion? whose side are they on?
STATIONS
*nce again, /0- station staff responded magnificently to
the strike call, causing many stations to close and forcing
nons and managers to keep open the busiest stations%
1ockfosters, $rnos 6rove and @ounds 6reen were among
the many stations closed for most or all of the strike%