Cuts Leave Tube Stations Unstaffed On 439 Occasions In The Past 6 Months

Figures obtained by RMT show that from October 2009 through to March 2010 surface level stations on the District, Central, Metropolitan, Circle & Hammersmith and Northern Lines were left unstaffed for entire shifts on a total of 439 occasions. One station, Mill Hill East, was left unstaffed for 95 entire shifts.

Current cuts plans being implemented by London Underground would see up to 800 ticket office, station and platform staff jobs axed creating a wave of ticket office closures and ushering in a culture of unstaffed tube stations, particularly late at night.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

"As Londoners prepare to vote they need to be aware that a Tory Mayor, who promised no cuts to station staff and no ticket office closures, is smuggling through reductions in staffing numbers that will have lethal consequences for the travelling public. The muggers paradise of unstaffed stations is already a reality across whole swathes of the tube system as these new figures demonstrate.

"We already have proposals on the table that will force tube drivers to pull away from stations without working mirrors or cameras and without the assistance of platform staff. It is only a matter of time before a passenger is dragged under a tube train as a consequence of these reckless cuts.

"Tory Mayor Boris Johnson has ripped up his promise to Londoners on tube staffing and voters need to take note of that on Thursday. RMT remains committed to fighting the jobs carnage on the tube and we will continue to fight for safe staffing levels on behalf of both our members and the travelling public."

> RMT National News

Monday, 13th October
Rail union RMT, will ballot Eurostar members for strike action in a row over safety and conditions at work.
Saturday, 11th October
Rail union RMT, has welcomed Greater Anglia returning to public ownership this Sunday and hailed a breakthrough agreement with the company that brings previously outsourced staff back in-house.
Thursday, 9th October
Transport union RMT today welcomed the intervention by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, in calling for an urgent pause to damaging government changes to the Skilled Worker visa scheme which threaten the jobs of hundreds of mainline rail and Tube workers in the capital.
Wednesday, 8th October
RMT members working for Carlisle Support Services on the Northern Trains’ revenue and gateline contract are taking their second day of strike action today.
Friday, 3rd October
RMT calls for halt on £700m Tube cleaning contract tender after legal advice reveals Mayor may have been misled.