Taking industrial action
[ch 4: page 54]Unfortunately, unions are not always able to work with employers to resolve issues. In a number of workplaces, the level of violence has become so bad that workers have taken industrial or other action in protest.
For example, while it is illegal for prison officers to strike, the level of violence in prisons became so serious towards the end of 2016 that the POA prison officers’ union advised its members to withdraw to a safe place and hold meetings outside their prison (see page 21).
In January 2017, members of the RMT and TSSA transport unions took two days’ strike action in protest at the axing of 800 jobs by the previous mayor of London, Boris Johnson, which the unions say has resulted in the wholesale closure of ticket offices on the London Underground (LU) and a huge spike in verbal and physical abuse towards customer service staff (see page 16) as well as a downgrading of safety standards. As the booklet went to press, the unions had called off further strike action in response to LU’s proposal to restore hundreds of jobs as a first step in returning the tube to an adequately safe staffing level.