Burfutt is now leaving after eight tough years as HR director, and Thursday 26 July was to be her last day at the much-criticised organisation. She departs to realise a long-held dream of running a hotel in the country and writing childrens books. Im nearly 50 now and I didnt want to get to 60 having just been a company director for 20 years, she explains.
Yet she recalls that when she arrived for her interview at the LU headquarters at 55 Broadway, adjacent to St Jamess Park tube station back in 1993, she thought, I wont fit in here its too white and male. Her mother is Burmese, she explains. I just saw grey suit after grey suit.
And then the managing director, Dennis Tunnicliffe, said he couldnt see her until the weekend. So, she came back on a Saturday morning and it was only then that she knew she could actually work there. What changed her mind? I saw a secretary sitting with her dog, which was wearing a red-spotted scarf. The place was obviously not what it seemed.
Burfutts task has been a difficult one. Even if you dont work in London, youre probably familiar with the failings of the Underground system. Three million journeys are made on it every weekday more than the entire rail network of the UK. It serves some 275 stations along 253 miles of track and passenger numbers rose above one billion for the first time last year. This means that overcrowding is a daily and worsening problem. Compounding this, one in 20 peak trains dont run, escalators are out of service for months at a time and most of the stations have seen better days. The system is estimated to need 1.2 billion worth of immediate investment and a further 400 million annually just to keep it going. And the unions are arguably the toughest to deal with in the country.
To make matters worse, there is much high-level debate about how its funding is to be delivered. American Bob Kiley, the mayor of Londons commissioner for transport, has been a persistent opponent of the public/private partnership scheme so beloved of Tony Blair. Kiley was sacked as chairman and board member of London Regional Transport by the transport secretary, Stephen Byers, but remains commissioner for transport.
In July, Ken Livingstone, Londons mayor, lost his High Court battle to prevent the Government from forcing through plans for part-privatisation of the Tube. He and Kiley want to raise funds in a bond issue while keeping ownership and management of the network wholly in public hands. They argue that breaking up the management structure will jeopardise safety. The Government meanwhile wants three separate private consortia (known as the Infracos) to take over responsibility for stations, tunnels and track while trains would continue to be run by a publicly-owned LU.
This has meant that, for much of her tenure as HR director, Burfutt has been in limbo over the organisational structure and future funding of the company. Keeping the organisation in transition for the past three years has been hard work, she says.
She has strong views on the various personalities involved. The mayor has been vociferous about the fact that LU is not well managed, she says, but he has never met the team. What about Kiley? Im quite impressed with his experience, she says of the man who is credited with rescuing the New York subway system. But, she argues, its easier if you come into a new country you can create a reputation to some extent and its easy to knock the LU management.
But what has frustrated her most during her time at LU? Not being able to make things happen quickly, she replies. Theres a lot of self-interest, and certain people dont like change, she says, not naming names. Its also possible to detect a hint of bitterness in her voice when she complains, If you do more than two things here at the same time, its initiativitis.
A third complaint is that, Its not easy to fit in here as a senior woman. Its not the most comfortable place to work. Whether you are visiting local management, going to the training centre, attending board meetings or with the trade unions they are all heavily male-dominated.
Railtracks head of employee negotiations, Paul Radley, is under no illusions about the post Burfutt is vacating, It is a bloody difficult job. It must be one of the most difficult ones in HR I wouldnt want it. I dont know how shes managed to last for so long. When pushed as to why, Radley explains, Relations with the trade unions are certainly not easy the RMT is very difficult to negotiate with but shes done a pretty good job holding things together.
Burfutt is open about the role she took, I didnt look the part not male, not white. It was an uphill task with the unions. With my local government experience, I thought Id experienced aggravation in the past, but I remember someone telling me... If you think youve suffered strikes, let me tell you what its like when the Underground stops. Youre in a goldfish bowl. Youre not the only business losing millions. It affects all business in London. It is quite a responsibility.
So what is the pressure like? Perhaps its the feeling of being demob happy, but Burfutt insists, Its not bad these days. I used to do all the TV stuff as well, that was worse. At the height of her fame, there was even a question about Burfutt on a TV quiz show... The board shares responsibility now and Mike Brown [customer services director, stations] is the front-man. I can think about the issues rather than how to answer press questions. I find it much more interesting these days than intimidating.
Its hard to imagine Burfutt being intimidated, yet in the past she has emerged from talks complaining of facing seven angry men, wagging their fingers at me. But its been said more than once that she can have a fiery, even abrasive attitude to negotiations herself. Aggression doesnt always help, says an industry insider. She cant understand it when she puts across an offer she thinks is reasonable, and the unions turn it down and say, We want this, this and this. It is tough when you get want, want, want on one side, it has to be balanced with are we delivering? on the other.
Even so, Burfutt should be well-placed to offer advice to anyone with union difficulties. One thing she mentions is that union leaders often say, I hope youre authorised to agree this, or theres no point talking... Burfutt says, You need the backing there. In my experience, what people hate is being bounced when somethings agreed, then changed.
Burfutt will often be joined by her MD in these negotiations partly because we have to be able to explain actions and sometimes very complex issues to government ministers. She has generally found ministers and politicians to be very reasonable and on occasions, she says, I have even felt the same about the civil service. When asked to expand, she says, Its a great shame that Steve Gooding has now left. He was a great civil servant both active and interested. Hes with the cabinet office now.
On the subject of unions, she also laments that with the break-up of the railways, London Undergrounds pay structure is being ratcheted up by other employers deals. It would make more sense to share and work to a broader agenda and not set up deals that cause problems. LU cant always compete and we are in competition with other companies for the likes of signalling staff, she says.
Her biggest union disappointment however concerns a defined partnership with the unions. Burfutt says, We tried, but there was no consistency between unions on partnership. She argues that shes learned to define the situation as it is, consider what the ultimate situation should be and then plot a route between them. And of course to identify key people/leaders on both sides who can get you there.
She will doubtless pass these tips on to Mike Strzelecski, director of safety, quality and environment, who will caretake her role. Apparently, he has to make safety his number one priority (its not the first time this phrase has cropped up in our conversation).
But what sort of skills will be required for the next HR director? Burfutt thinks for a moment, then reels off a list of competencies. Not surprisingly, her first thoughts concern industrial relations. They will have to be very strong and clear with the unions, she says. She pauses for a moment before continuing, but also empathise with the good things they say. Her successor will also have to be very change-oriented, given the resistance to change she has outlined, but she hopes it will be someone who will continue the good work with the team. She expands on this by voicing fears about appointing someone who has a not if it was invented here mentality. She wants someone who will pick up existing plans and only change things over time as they learn about the company.
Nor does she want someone overly formal. They will need to relate to all levels not just be focused on strategy and leadership. I would hope for someone who is willing to learn from people at operational levels, and not just from gurus.
Burfutt is animated on this subject. Of course, she says, there are a few railway buffs here, but there are also some really committed people who believe in it. And Burfutt likes to meet them. Theres nothing I find more interesting than listening to people at the sharp end of operational decisions. You have to know what they think of customer service... because otherwise phrases like customer focus are just meaningless.
She has a LU uniform and keeps a selection of hats on top of the cabinet in her office to wear when she goes out on visits. At one point she adopted a station Highbury and Islington on the Victoria line and she used to see the people she worked with from her Islington days. Few recognised her. You see less respect for railway staff.
I could sense it. There are no Good mornings, she remembers. Burfutt confesses that when she joined the organisation, she was a the customers never wrong person. Not any more. She is quite clear on the subject. Usually, our customers are wonderful but there are occasional incidents and we dont pay people to take abuse. This was something that hit home when she went out with the revenue control staff the people who check tickets on the trains and saw what they faced every day.
Burfutt admits there is a high turnover of station staff customers are not always polite. But staff are trained in how to handle them. There is a book on customer service standards, and also one called The knowledge which includes information on where to stand on platforms for connections and the quickest routes. It is on the website www.thetube.com, if youre interested. There is also an employee recognition scheme, complete with a presentation ceremony.
This brings her on to the subject of one-unders the LU term for people whove jumped or been pushed under an oncoming train. They happen regularly, she says with resignation. But because of the pit under the rails, it is often unsuccessful as a means of suicide. Rescuing people can be traumatic for staff. Of course, there is a trauma counselling service. Imagine the impact, she says, when youve seen someone lose arms or legs... But the service is wonderful in reducing time off. You dont want people to come back too quickly, but you dont want them off for too long either they might dwell on the incident.
Tube drivers prefer to work with the lights off in their cabin when theyre in tunnels, she says. But psychologists believe that seeing a human face in that split second before someone jumps might be enough to make them change their mind so, as they come into a station, they tend to put the lights on.
When she started at LU, she says, there were certain things regarded as nice-to-haves that she viewed as fundamentals. I really wanted to work on training and development not so much employee relations. However, that has been her destiny. And there have been some notable successes. To have three general secretaries on a platform talking about a genuine partnership was a wonderful moment, she says of her work on equality and harassment. She has also achieved Investors in People accreditation.
Working for London Underground gives you a cause, she says, its much more worthwhile than working for an organisation that just makes money.
Her new cause is a 10-room hotel in Chichester where she hopes to find time to do some writing. She has already started to write unpublished as yet a series of childrens stories. The first is provisionally titled Emily Ellery and the Burmese Mandarin.
She finds writing so absorbing. An early riser, she can often write from 6am to 11am at weekends before realising, alarmed, that half the day has gone. But, I ask, if she works 12-hour days now at London Underground, from 7.30am, wont it be even worse when shes running a hotel? Probably, she agrees with a smile. But at least there shouldnt be too many industrial disputes.
