The Spark

the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist

“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx

Washington Metro:
Off Track

May 30, 2011

Before 2009, Metro used to have 46 track inspectors working in teams of two, each checking one rail of the track for cracks and defects. But it was dangerous work. Eight workers were killed since 2005.

So what did Metro do to correct the problem? Did it add a third worker to act as a lookout for oncoming trains and other hazards?

No!

Metro doubled their workload by assigning half the track inspectors to act as lookouts instead of as inspectors, making it impossible to fully inspect the tracks.

Metro’s idea of safety: trading one accident for another accident.