Tube station staff to strike over job cuts and ticket office closures
Are Tube staff right to strike?
Will proposed changes improve or damage the service?
Your views are invited.
The RMT union has confirmed plans for a 48-hour strike on the London Underground over job cuts and ticket office closures.
The walkout by thousands of station staff, starting at 9pm on Saturday, would severely impact tube services on Sunday and Monday. A threatened series of strikes over the introduction of the night tube, which were to be joined by drivers and other unions, has been called off, but the RMT is set to go ahead in this parallel dispute.
The union has called seven days of action, including an overtime ban. However, talks are expected later in the week between the RMT and Transport for London, which may yet avert the strike.
The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, attacked his putative Labour successor, Sadiq Khan, for failing to denounce the RMT. Johnson branded the strike “insane”, adding that ticket offices would not be re-opened.
The RMT has said that the job losses are being driven by budget cuts, and safety on the tube will be jeopardised by the move.
Source: Tube station staff to strike over job cuts and ticket office closures | UK news | The Guardian
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An all night service would be a small asset to a small number of people but we have managed very well without one since the underground commenced. Ticket offices should be maintained as they are an essential point to go to for advice as well as payment. An all night service must inevitably make maintenance more difficult and dangerous and both drivers and maintenance staff would be justified in looking for double pay if they were obliged to accept the change.
IF IT AIN’T BROKE DON’T FIX IT – unless the change is really cost effective as well as commuter friendly.
At a time when the Tories are trying to stifle Union representation, this “trend” towards striking is playing right into their hands. One of the reasons Maggie Thatcher came into power was because under Neil Kinnock, the Unions had brought this country to it’s knees with their ability to call strikes.
The flipside is if the unions can show that they are conforming to the 40% rule of balloting ALL members and achieving the required consensus.
I know which side a lot of people are going to fall on, regardless of the reasons for the strike action and we cannot afford it politically at the present time.
Under Neil Kinnock, the unions brought the country down, did they?
You might want to check that!
I just wish everyone in britain came out that then would show we dont want any torys in power but wonder they just wouldn’t go
I am angry every time I hear a Tory denounce a strike because it will cause inconvenience to the public. STRIKES ARE MEANT TO CAUSE INCONVENIENCE TO THE PUBLIC OR WHY ELSE HOLD THEM.
I have never heard a Tory condemn the bankers for holding the public to ransom so why should they consider it OK to condemn workers.
Once the trade union bill comes in striking will be almost impossible.
I cannot help but wonder if this devious “government’s'” plan is to drive the junior doctors, the tube staff and drivers, and others, to strike, in order to get the public disgruntled enough to change their support for the ‘strikers’. Then, their “Kill the Unions Bill” will be passed without public dissent….just saying….
It doesn’t really matter whether the public disagrees with the Trade Union Bill or not. The opposition must come entirely from representatives in the Lords or the Commons.