Announcements this week confirmed that the profits and subsidies of the private train operating companies are being ring-fenced while key modernisation, maintenance and upgrade works are being ditched in an all-out dash for cuts.
Network Rail boss Iain Coucher says publicly that Crossrail works have “not gone so far that they could not be stopped”
Tube Union RMT today called on London Mayor Boris Johnson to make an urgent statement on the impact of the ConDem government cuts on the tube upgrade programme as rumours gathered ground that the works on the Northern Line will not be completed in time for the 2012 Olympics.
TRANSPORT UNION RMT announced today that it is launching an unprecedented challenge to the UK’s anti-trade union laws in the European Court of Human Rights.
Papers on behalf of RMT will be lodged with the European Court today by the union and its solicitors. RMT will argue on behalf of its members that its ability to organise industrial action to protect its members is restricted by UK law.
With the new ConDem government kicking off its cuts programme today, transport union RMT warned this morning that key transport projects, including Crossrail, High Speed rail, electrification and the Tube upgrades, are all at risk of being scrapped, scaled back or kicked into the long grass with the union forecasting that the national transport budget could be hacked back by up to 27%.
RMT blasts Mayor’s “transport strategy” as a smokescreen for job cuts, ticket office closures and attacks on safety standards
TUBE UNION RMT today blasted London Tory Mayor Boris Johnson for throwing up a smokescreen under the guise of a “Transport Strategy”, designed to deflect attention away from his multi-billion transport cuts package that threatens thousands of jobs, ticket office closures across the Capital and a systematic undermining of current safety standards.
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.
TUBE UNION RMT today slammed proposed changes to London Underground train operations that the union has warned would turn station platforms into “death traps.”
Proposals submitted to RMT safety reps at the Trains Health and Safety Council (THSC), and titled the Operation Effectiveness Programme (OEP), would involve:
A study by RMT of Transport for London’s latest accounts reveals that the number of managers earning between £70,000 and £99,000 had more than doubled to nearly 800 – which matches the number of front-line station staff that Tube bosses want to axe.
EVER MORE London Tube bosses are being paid telephone-number salaries while hundreds of front-line staff face the axe, the RMT union charges today.
TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that they are preparing for a ballot of members for strike action and action short of a strike after London Underground failed to withdraw the threat of axing 800 staff.
“RMT has made it clear that we will not sit idly by while the Mayor, his transport officials and Tube Line’s drive down tube staffing levels to dangerously low levels. We gave LU and Tube Lines an opportunity to pull back from these cuts but they have decided to plough on leaving us with no option but to organise ballots.”
TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that it has set a deadline of 5pm on Thursday 25th March 2010 for London Underground to withdraw the threat of axing 800 staff and closing ticket offices or the union will declare a dispute and ballot for strike action and action short of a strike.
RMT also warned today that London Underground are already running stations unstaffed or “babysat” with just one member of staff.