"RMT has been raising issues of major concern over the contents of air for a long time . The response given to the Sunday Times is what the union has been fobbed off with before . It is simply not good enough to say it's different because it's underground.

The fact that millions of passengers and thousands of staff on a daily basis are exposed to poor air quality and with raised Iron levels and who knows what else is a scandal.

We demand with immediate effect that a high level face to face meeting with RMT and the other unions is called and that RMT's concerns for it's thousands of members breathing in this polluted air are acted on.

RMT also recognises that emergency measures may have to be taken with immediate effect to protect passenger and staff health and safety

The cuts agenda of saving £3.5 Billion off the tfl budget before 2021  makes all this much worse .

The Mayor must demand more money for Londoner's and the Underground and use it to do whatever is necessary for the quality of air you would expect to breath in whilst travelling and working underneath one of the richest cities in the world . He must now act to protect his staff and tube passengers."