from Vaughan Thomas printed in the London Evening Standard Letters Page 20 October 2010

TfL claim that only the delays on the Metropolitan Line this week were caused by the RMT's overtime ban, imposed in protest at massive job cuts. But since the start of the ban there have been a series of station closures for part of the day as staff numbers have fallen below minimum numbers at stations including Barbican, Liverpool Street, Lambeth North, Finsbury Park and Charing Cross, and the District and Jubilee Lines have experienced rolling stock shortages. Maintenance has fallen behind schedule, yet still London Underground Ltd insists it wants to lose more jobs while claiming safety isn’t being compromised. Passengers forced to swelter underground like the Chilean miners will be there a lot longer if there are fewer people to help them. LUL’s greatest asset is its staff - how foolish to dismiss a large chunk of them and alienate the rest.

Vaughan Thomas, president, London Transport Region RMT.