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Tube boss: these strikers aim to bring down our firm
Dick Murray, Transport Editor18.08.08
The main Tube union has hit back at accusations it is orchestrating an illegal political strike.
RMT leader Bob Crow rejected claims by maintenance firm Tube Lines that the disruption due to start on Wednesday was nothing to do with pay and conditions but was a political attack on the firm and on the Mayor.
Tube Lines chairman Terry Morgan said the walkout by RMT maintenance workers was an attempt to collapse his company and bring its work back into the public sector following the collapse of Metronet and its subsequent transfer to TfL control.
But Mr Crow responded saying Mr Morgan should "stop throwing petty insults around and get around the table to negotiate a solution".
The RMT has ordered eight days of strikes - mainly affecting the Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines - from noon on Wednesday. Tube Lines operates emergency response teams throughout the network, meaning other lines could also suffer major disruption.
A second 72-hour stoppage is due in two weeks from Wednesday 3 September.
Those going on strike earn up to £52,000 and have turned down a pay increase of 4.95 per cent, demanding equality with Metronet's 5.1 per cent rise.
Mr Morgan accused the RMT of using the strike call to push its own agenda. He cited low voting figures: of 1,000 workers entitled to vote on the action about half did not. Of those who did, only 280 backed the call. "Such a small proportion should not try to mess up the week of millions of Londoners," he said.
But Mr Crow said: "Tube Lines pays lower rates than Metronet and offers inferior pensions and travel facilities. Our members voted by a margin of more than three to one to strike because what is on the table will widen that gap.
"If Terry Morgan doubts that this is an industrial dispute he should try putting some more money and better conditions on the table," he said.
A Tube Lines spokeswoman said if staff accepted the current offer "then 95 per cent of grades will earn more [than their counterparts at] Metronet."
Critics say the action is also a shot at Boris Johnson, who wants a no-strike deal for the Tube, adding that as various contracts across the Tube network were renewed a condition would be that the London living wage was paid.
Workers who clean Eurostar trains are also planning to stage a 24-hour strike over pay on bank holiday Monday.
Reader views (33)
A high profile class action lawsuit for loss of earnings by commuters and businesses would soon put an end to this sort of industrial sabotage, especially of Crow was made personally liable.
- Adam, Harrow, uk
In the dying days of the treacherous government that brought this country to its knees the left wing militant unions, tamed by Maggie Thatcher see their opportunity!
Look out for much more of this, particularly from public sector workers as nuLabour sinks.
- Carver, newark nots
It's far cheaper really to keep the Tube workers happy. They have the ability- without Bob Crow and the RMT- to cause some pretty major inconveniences on a daily basis and for it to be perfectly legal and within company policy. People might think it amounts to blackmail to cave in to their demands 'otherwise they'll shut the system down'. Well what do people want? Keep the Tube workers happy and have no strikes? Or be tight-fisted over small things and see them go out on strike? There is such a thing as cutting off your nose to spite your face. They aren't asking for like a 30% pay rise or something ridiculous- their pay claim is pretty fair given current levels of inflation. Give it to them, and see an end to the strike. Simple, really.
- Richard, London, UK
Now that we recognise climate warning & are all doing our bit to reduce it, any strike by public transport workers that results in forcing us back on to bigger CO2 emitting transport is immoral & unjustifiable. Boris Johnson needs to stamp on these polluters now!
- D Saunders, London, England
I would bet that the majority of the commuters would love to earn what bully boy crow earns, stripping out reps that don't strike! Sounds a bit like harassment for doing work they are paid to do, they have been crowing about that for ages on reps doing duties for the union. Lefty brain washed nutters.
- Billy, milton keynes
How can London be a Global competing based City when we are dogged by poor quality management from Tube Lines who probably don't give a dam about its staff of the travelling public and the union that is as remote about protecting members than mars. Both Union head and tube line head should be ashamed. Oh and where is Boris. On his bike into the sunset. London kiss your economic jobs goodbye to China and India.
- Alan Church, St Albans / London
Why do people keep talking about drivers? This dispute is about track workers and electricians. Yes a few of them can earn £52000 if they work seven nights a week.
- Colin, Barking Essex
What have the train drivers got to do with this? You are clearly either bonkers or stupid!
Many Tubelines staff are not on the £52k stated, thats for the people that make sure that the signalling is safe to use and there isn't another Clapham Junction. It's the people that work for this firm that keep old, clapped out, life expired (1960/70's) equipment running.
Though there is definatly a political motive to the action - is it a bad thing?
It would be nice if Tubelines gave up (like Metronet did - they ran out of money, some strikes isn't enough to bankrupt a firm with billions). The PPP set up is still in place with Metronet. It's good hat our money is being spent on slowly improving things, just a shame that governments won't spend our money and show it on the balance sheets, preferring the costly PFI/PPP route.
- Keith & Barry, London
Crow by name and crow by nature - carrion feeding off the bones of his members and the travelling public. He cares only about his tough guy image and his political posturing - pathetic little man without vision or conscience. I dare him to show his face at a tube station in the midst of the chaos and misery he is causing - he would get a good idea of how Londoners regard him.
- Melissa, London UK
Whether you support the strike or not, I think in the current climate, Crow and his supporters will gain less sympathy than in the past. True, most Londoners are angry that the tube was partially sold off to begin with. I will never forgive the New Labour government for doing this, the same way I will never forgive the previous Conservative government for the privatisation of British Rail. That said, strikes like this will achieve little other than to raise public ire. Most Londoner's focus will be on even-more-miserable trips to work at the hands of the RMT, than on the disastrous legacy of part-privatisation of the network, the collapse of Metronet, and the resulting delays to improvements overall.
- Dave, North London
No strike deal, rubbish. We don't need that. Just put a restriction on strikes so that any time a union strikes with less than 2/3 member support (all the members, not just those who reply) a strike is illegal and striking workers can lose their jobs.
- Fraser Steen, London
If they've started playing silly beggars now, can you imagine what it's going to be come the Olympics? Save your money and buy a bike.
- Gt Zaskar, London
Not sure why readers are knocking the RMT here. The comparisons are:
Companies maximising their profits - Members maximising their wages
Companies trying to gain monopolies to ease costs (BA/AA)- Members trying to regain public status to ease their terms/conditions.
Companies not paying corporation tax for decades to offset losses - members have no choice but to pay tax and cannot offset their losses.
Anyone for a fairer playing field?
- Paul, London
Bob Crow is a chip off the same old (communist) block as Arthur Scargill, the man who really destroyed our mining industry.
Unfortunately for commuters, broke NuLabour is in bondage to militant trade unions, so don't expect Gordon clown to come to your rescue. It is more likely that the RMT will be appeased, with commuters picking up the tab.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
It is time for action, but to be sure, the resultant aggravation will probably go on for at least a year or so, but it will have to be done. The underground is extraordinarily expensive compared to those in the rest of Europe, largely because of the huge salaries, and (I am told) Spanish practices that prevail. So lets be brave and sack any strikers, and get it sorted out in time for the Olympics! The likes of Bob Crow will never be satisfied, send them off to join Arthur Scargill in obscurity.
- Trevor Davies, Bromley
Bob Crow and his lot need to be kicked into touch long before London hosts the 2012 Olympics. Can you imagine how he'd have the city over a barrel as the games begin and he starts issuing demands? We'd be the laughing stock of the world, with visitors unable to comprehend how London lets itself be blackmailed by this man year after year. If he's not brought into line before this event is held in 4 years time we've only ourselves to blame.
- Paul Wilson, London, UK
Sack anyone who goes on strike!
If their pay rise they was governed by their performance (like the rest of us), they'd be suffering a pay CUT, not a rise.
They need to learn that they can't hold us to ransom like this, just to satisfy their greed.
They went on strike with Metronet last year, and what happened - Metronet had to declare bankruptcy and had to be bailed out by TFL.
- Mark, Bromley, Kent
So they are going on strike for 6 days and lose 3/250 = 2.4% of their pay for so their pay rise is increased from 4.95 to 5.1% ie 0.15%. So someone on £30,000 loses £720 to make £24 per year. This is a purely political strike!
- Paul, London
Does anyone know how much Terry Morgan is paid and what his increase was this year? I've heard that Tubelines made nearly £80million profit this year and all this is money that could have been spent doing up the tube rather than go to their shareholders.
Why does everyone blame the workforce? I personally want to know why these workers have been driven to going on strike and getting all the personal abuse that a ballot provokes! Tubelines need to sort out this mess that they've made so that people like me can get to and from work by tube in peace.
- Paul, Essex
Bob Crowe reminds me of that scene in Carry on at Your Convenience - 'Everybody out!
- Pootle, Twickenham
The tube unions are dinosaurs - their time has come and gone. They bring shame to London, and god only knows what they will do in the run-up to the Olympics. I've yet to meet a helpful, friendly tube worker. They are typically surly and seem to hate passengers, taking joy from making them suffer.
Crow is nothing but a trouble-making rabble rouser, but then if I had a face like that, I would be bitter and hostile too.
- Zaphod, zanzibar
Bring in driver less trains like DLR and sack the lot of em.
- Tom, London
Good old Comrade Bob and his minions up to the same old game. It will all back-fire when when the Tories get because people are fed up with Government being dictated to be the unions.
- David, London
This proposed strike is just the beginning. Just wait until 20112 when we have the Olympics and the ransom demands the unions will try to make.
- Larry Gold, london e11
If you have a friend who is a member of this union, please shun them. Stop inviting them out to the pub. Don't take their calls. Until these people realise how odious they are, they will continue to hold us all as hostage to their own, purely selfish greed.
- St, London
A 4.95% pay rise is about twice as much as most tube passengers will get this year. Personally, I don't see why they should get more than 2.9%, which seems to be about average this year. A larger pay rise certainly isn't justified by their performance. As a regular passenger, I'd quite happily struggle to work without the tube for a month if it would break the unions.
- Liz, London
Sack the strikers and make them reapply for their jobs on full commercial terms. It's about time this government stopped being pushed around by the RMT and other unions.
- Mark, London
Offer the drivers a choice: accept a pay cut to £30,000 or be sacked. £52,000 is already totally excessive for somebody who does nothing more all day than push a little lever.
Better still, automate the system like the DLR and sack the lot.
- Mikko Takala, Drumnadrochit, Scotland
All I can is say I'm more convinced then ever to have emigrated is the right decision. I used the Central Line (Hell Line)every day for 10 years into the city.
White City was a hell hole. Trains terminated without warning. Crow is nothing more then a thug. Union members are bullied by him and the public held to ransom. About time he discloses his expense account. Let the union members see how there dues are being abused.
- Asw, Hong Kong
Tube workers are the most selfish and greedy people in this city - they earn far more than most average Londoners (£32k starting salary - I've been working in architecture for 5 years and don't earn that) - most folk only get a couple of percent pay rise each year. If you work for a private company and you don't like the pay - you change jobs. How much longer will we Londoners be held to ransom!? Come on Gordon - sever the links with these 'people and do the country a favour - the trade unions are abusing their position - again!
- Colin, London
Sack the whole lot and bring in some Eastern Europeans who will be quick to train-up and will gladly work hard for reasonable wages.
- Mikko Takala, Drumnadrochit, Scotland
This will be the first serious test of Boris Johnson but it is just as much an issue for Gordon Brown. A strong Prime Minister would introduce legislation to ban strikes by essential transport worker in the same way as they are banned for the police. With the Labour party effectively bankrupt and dependent on unions for support the “great leader” will doubtless fail to have such courage.
London has been blackmailed by the RMT and other tube unions for too long. It is tragic that the workers who displayed such courage on 7/7 are betrayed by a union leadership who use intimidation as their only negotiating tool.
- Ian, London
Good on the tube workers. Striking is the only weapon they have against these huge corporations which take millions of pounds of our money to line their corporate pockets.
- Matt, London, UK
