• Revealed... the TfL boses who earn more than Gordon Brown

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Maybe NHS can take the point, and not stop the pay of all staff that could not make it to Barts on the "big snow" because of no buses being available.

They are doing a remarkable job there and when I attended an appointment last was amazed to hear that the Management was going to stop PAY or staff would have to use a days leave - just because Boris could not get the buses running!!

- Patricia Hopkin, London

As I have a dial up connection into work (I work a lot of evenings and weekends), I worked from home on Monday and Tuesday (none of my trains were running anyway). Unfortunately train, tube & bus drivers don't have this option and if they can't get into work then they can't get there, we just have to live with it, it's not their fault. What I do find objectionable is people that work locally who just took the day off because they thought if everyone else was playing in the snow then they should too. None of my local businesses were open last Monday (except for my local independent burger bar which has been open pretty much every day since 1973) even though I know that most of the employees live within a mile of the shop.

- Bob, Cheam

To be honest, I think some people are trying to scapegoat the bus and tube drivers for the disruption to public transport on Monday.
This is the easy option, and completely inaccurate.
The report states that 95% of workers arrived on Monday morning. That is quite a good attendance compared to some other businesses I am aware of.
Public transport employees are used to making their own way into work, often when there are no services running.
However, if a risk-averse desk jockey decides to pull the service, then your public transport will fail.

- Jim, London, UK

Dear Serox. I luckily didn't have to go into the office until the Wednesday when the thaw had set in but even then the streets and pavements in the outer boroughs were lethal. I nearly went flying several times on the way to the tube station. People who didn't go in weren't 'slackers', they just didn't want to break both their legs, thus requiring them to take many weeks' sick leave as much greater cost to their employers.

- Lindsay, london

People blaming Boris for this farce are making a dangerous assumption i.e. that he knows what is going on.
It took him until last Friday to realise that he had cancelled all the buses on Monday.
Maybe Red Ken wasn't so bad after all.

- Andrew, London

I work for the Underground , I walked almost 3 miles to get to work at 3 am so that I could take abuse for there being no buses , or trains and that there was no tube service running every 3 minutes.
If you agree with staff getting docked , then I should get a bonus ? maybe I should get double pay ? or better yet maybe i could work for RBS and get part of the £1 billion pounds of tax payers money being paid out?

- Kevin, London

L Oxley why get bitter about bus drivers who turned up for work only to be told by their boss (Boris) that they could not take the buses out. What would you have liked them to do?

And when did we turn into a country of bitter and twisted whingers?

- Ashiq, London, UK

There are a lot of lazy bus-drivers and tube staff. Now is a very good time to do some cutting. Travellers will rejoice if they get more customer-friendly people!

- Steveo, London

Think about this we carrie over 1500 people on one train during the peak,what would you do if the train came to a hult with no forward movement.
well this is what we are trained for we are more train engineers than drivers we have to get that train moving no matter what.
And I bet that if you were doing my job you would not be moaning yes it is well paid but we do earn it.
I was one of the 95% that made it in but not all driver live in london and they do have kids as well so some of them had no child care due to the schools being closed If my wife was working i would not of been at work so give us a break until you know what we do in our day to day jod and its not just driving a trains we have to deal with you the british public and we don't get overtime or a bonus.

- Ken, london

Brian from wiltshire,who put you up to say what you did?

Ian from Wigan,You ask why?
Simple,a strong Trade Union,The RMT,thats why!

- James Connolly, London ,England

I am a train driver on main line railways - all the drivers and conductors made it into work on Monday.
Interestingly, many of the office staff and managers claimed to be unable to travel to work.
There were simply far too many people who decided that they would like a day off and play in the snow.
Tube staff will win little sympathy from Londoners, who tend to villify them.
It is unfortunate that genuine workers such as NHS staff and anyone in public services were unable to make it to work.
However, bailed-out bankers using taxpayers money to purchase their season tickets deserve all the misery they get.

- Jim, London, UK

Well, I struggled in on Monday. I'm a tube driver. Having heeded the weather reports the previous evening, instead of the normal 30 mins I usually allow, I allowed myself 2½ hours to get to work. I done it in 2hr 10mins. So fortunately I wasn't late.
Guess what? Thanks to boris' decision, I won't be putting myself out again in similar circumstances, not when those who put in a little extra effort to turn up are treated exactly the same as those who couldn't be bothered. He's set a precedent now. Sorry Joe Public. Blame Boris.

- P. Ford, West London, UK,

So a little pressure and Boris bottles it big time.

- Keith Price, Luton, England

That's two Tory U-turns on the same day. At Camoron's TV press conference he had just done his Hissy Hen act saying that as the Banks made a loss nobody should get a bonus. Then he was asked about poor little cashiers on eleven thousand a year who depended on bonuses. With reddening cheeks Camoron said that he didn't mean those people.

- R Roger, Epping England

I walked on my hands and knees to get in, and not the easy way, no , i circumnavigated the globe to do it, if i could get in why couldnt those tube workers get in, when i got in my boss docked me the whole days pay for bieng five minutes late and rightly so , i dont need a union to protect me like those tube workers.

- Brian, Wiltshire

Can someone explain to me please why a Tube train driver is paid considerably more than a bus driver when the latter seems to require far more skill to do the job.

- Ian Lucas, Wigan,Lancs

What about the NHS workers? We have had our pay stopped or forced to take a days annual leave? We couldnt get in either - some of us walked (some collegues upto 10 miles)!

- Monday 10, London uk

Steve (Sutton) 95% of Tube staff turned up last week, thinking they were safe in the knowledge that they would be paid, even if they didn't bother going in. It's only today that the 5% who couldn't/didn't go in thought they might not get paid, so your argument falls a bit flat.

Did 95 % of other professions turn up for work, using the same level of public transport that Tube workers used to get in? No? Are you demonising them too, or is it just Tube staff?

- Nick, London

I have no sympathy with tube staff, who have caused far too much inconvenience to the long suffering general public over the years. In the mid 1990s they went on strike and I spent over nine hours travelling (walking) to and from work (I live south of the river and was working in Highgate)and was not allowed to leave early.

Last Monday was my first day back at work after two weeks' sick leave. I only realised there were no buses running when I reached the stop at Battersea Bridge and saw people marching stoically across the bridge. Since I had been ill, there was no way I could have walked to the West End, but as luck would have it, along came a taxi (for once just when I needed it!). Only three of us at our end of the floor on which I work managed to get in and only four at the other end. We were allowed to leave early.

Then to see on the evening news bus drives having snowball fights infuriated me. Why shouldn't these people, both bus and tube drivers, be made to take last Monday as a day's annual leave. They have much more generous holiday allowances than "normal" people do.

- L Oxley, London

A Skilled. Given current economic climate, why don't you resign and let somebody else have a go for 30k? Unfortunately your industry lives in a bygone era.

- Steve, Essex

I have heard that tube drivers have to requalify for their jobs by taking regular tests and exams. I would rather travel on a tube where the driver is fully qualified and trained then have the sort of staff who come and go in a job. One of the ways to retain good staff is to reward them with good pay and conditions, saying that the conditions they work under are very stressful and the social life they have must be very limited what with working extreme shifts and weekends.

- David, Totland Bay

Ha Borris thay had no choice because you old boy canceled all forms of public transport remember!If your so worried about people getting to work in such circumstances maybe you should invest in some equipment to remove snow from the rails and roads instead of trying to scapegoat the workers of this city.

- Kev, London-UK

I like this bit

A TfL spokesman said managers did not make a "conscious decision" to cancel any services.

Probably true as none of them are capable of making a conscious decision.

- Bob, UK

Congratulations on the U-turn Boris. Next time there's a snowflake on the track, none of the tube staff will bother turning up, safe in the knowledge that they will still get a full day's pay.

- Steve, Sutton

In reply to Alan - London, "salaries of up to £30,000"?? As a tube driver, I couldn't live on £30,000! Add ten grand to it sunshine and you're getting there.

- A Skilled And Useful Tube Driver, London, UK

Maybe they should give a bonus to those who did make it to work!!

- Mc, London

why should they be paid they didnt try

i did

ps i am a driver

i wont bother again.

in the storms of 1987 i got to work

but i am treated with contempt for making an effort
jeff

- Jeffrey Clements, Rainham Essex

My sympathy for tube workers disappeared when they striked for completely selfish reasons.

Now they want us to support them for a real reason?

Forget it!!!

- Simon, London

I expect he didn't fancy a three-month strike.

- Neil M., london uk,

so 95% of tube workers could make it to work, but a 100 or so "couldn't".

obviously the devil is in the detail of what is meant by couldn't?

seems most were able to... how suspiciously convenient.

- Scott, London

"Hit the lowest paid hardest - thats the general approach to everything in the UK. Brown has been offering leadership lessons it seems.

- James Price, London"

I hardly think that tube workers on £ 30k / annum class as 'the lowest paid' - what about all those who lost pay because they couldn't get to work because there was no public transport ?

- Alan, Northampton UK

I hate to go back to the history of London Transport again, but.
If the Tory Party had not sold off the housing that was owned by the old London Transport round depots etc.
There would have been enough staff to get the system going in the worst conditions, which is why it was built.
So Boris, a big thank you to your party for the initial cause of this problen. Which you are now compounding.

- Gerry, Chatham KENT UK

I think that's a disgraceful way to treat staff. If they can't get to work they can't get to work. End of Story!

- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx

No Sympathy from me. A lot of tube workers are overpaid for the mostly unskilled work they do, take huge amounts of sick leave and don't care when the millions can't get into work when they go on strike and hold everyone to ransom. Supply and demand, sack the lot and let people reapply for their jobs at lower salaries, which they would because the work is so easy!

- Sukh, london

Whine, whine, whine. Get a grip people...is this what the UK has come to?

To those who would wish those that enjoyed an unexpected day off should get paid and not lose any leave entitlement (no-one is talking about enforced docking of money BTW), what do you think that those that did manage to make it to work deserve?

Extra pay...an extra days leave? Where does it stop, and who do YOU want to pay for it?

Kataobi, no-one is going to offer you a refund...you need to ask for it.

- Escobar A-Lop-Lop, Camden County

TFL staff, welcome to the real world!

- T Moss, London

Any excuse not to go to work. People could get to work if they really tried hard enough.

Slackers! I bet if Boris docked a weeks pay they would turn up next time it snowed.

- Serox, London

Did Boris actually have anything to do with this? I find that hard to believe. It seems more like TfL mentality.

- Kevin T, Beckenham

Did the staff ring in and receive instructions not to come to work or did they not travel without contacting work first?

- Liberal Thinker, UK

Ticket office and platform staff earning up to £29,000!

- Eddie, Cheshunt, UK

I would have supported the Tube drivers but I back Boris 100% in all his decisions because he is not Red Ken, therefore I think the drivers should get over themselves or look for another job.

- Andrew, London

To be honest, I think that this is quite reasonable.

Myself and other colleagues struggled to get in to work when there were a large number of people who were just taking the mick, clearly didn't try to travel, and just claimed that the snow was problematic.

It's only right that those who made the effort to get in to work get paid, and those who didn't bother don't. Most firms have various clauses that basically say if you can't get in because of transport disruption then tough - otherwise it sets a dangerous precedent, with employees no longer turning up at the hint of transport problems.

- Steve, Sutton

That anyone would come up with an idea of reducing the salary for those that did not manage to get to work last Monday is comical! And typical of English hipocrisy! I have only one question - if this is a great country as it think it is, if London is a great city as they would like the world to believe, why is it that a bit of snow creates a total collapse of the public transport! I'd mention some eastern European cities as a comparison, but they are so well organised compared with what's happening in England, it would do them a gross injustice!

- Mister, London, London

"over-the-top" attempts to get to work, you say,Mr Martin H. Watson? How can you make an over-the-top attempt to get to work. What a statement. Only in England could there be such a notion!

- Kardinal Birkutzki, London, Uk

The amount of trouble the Tube Unions and their members have caused over the years, I couldn't care less.

All the anti Boris trolls coming out to play as usual.

More to this than meets the eye I think.

- Mark, London, UK

In our borough we have had no rubbish collection now for nearly two weeks the council did not grit side roads but the snow was gone by Friday, can he dock the dustmans wages which I help to pay for please. No I didn't think so!!

- Mrs. Pamela Mckay, Dagenham, Essex, United Kingdom

No sympathy for the striking tube workers here - they have inconvenienced London too many times, it's about time they got a taste of their own medicine.

- St, UK

Was this really Boris' decision?

Or someone from TFL?

Surely the Mayor isn't getting involved in such operational decisions?

- James, England

While I'm sure that a few people made over-the-top attempts to get to work, this sort of attitude from emplyers is going to do nothing for morale.

I doubt that many people who could REASONABLY have got to work actually stayed away. It unfairly penalises staff without cars and those who have a longer journey to work.

Also I bet those who claimed to work from home were probably out snowballing with the rest of us.

Personally I got thanked by my manager for getting to work on Tuesday, and penalised for not getting there on Monday.

- Martin H. Watson, Teddington

I agree with Boris on many things, but he needs to change his mind on this one - not least as the unfortunate staff were following orders from the top.

If TFL have lost fare revenue, then maybe he should make economies elswhere. Perhaps he might axe the GLA's unnecessary 'embassies' in Brussels and other continents, as they just duplicate our official representation.

- Jools, London

This decision will come back to haunt him. The tube drivers could hardly work from home!

- Darren, london

Hit the lowest paid hardest - thats the general approach to everything in the UK. Brown has been offering leadership lessons it seems.

- James Price, London

It's alright for him. He's so wealthy that no doubt losing a day's pay means very little to him.

- Lindsay, london

If true, this is wrong and is one of the few times I have felt sympathy for Tube staff (who on any score do not deserve salaries of up to £30,000 considering their level of skills and general usefulness).

- Alan, London

This is typical of the idiotic, unplanned approach of this self-styled 'amiable buffoon'. The problem with 'amiable buffoons' is that while they might be a bit of an entertaining diversion, that's all they are. You don't want them actually making decisons of any importance, because they simply are not up to the challenge.

This problem with Boris is showing itself time and again, everytime he is required to engage with something serious he mucks up, then tries to gaffe his way through. oon enough this approach won't work - people will get fed up and see through it.

Boris was pictured riding his bike through the snow gurning and waving for the cameras last week. He didn't have a helmet on. This tells you a lot about what you need to know about his approach to things - not much forethought, little planning and no consideration of the consqequences. Congratulations London - we have elected our very own G.W.Bush

- Nick, London

I am sure that the mayor has said that the day off should count as part of their holiday entitlement which is very acceptable.

- Alexis Dogilewski, London, England

and no doubt the managers 'worked from home'.

- Clever Trevor, Wandsworth

Transport for London's top management paid themselves more than £17 million in salaries and bonuses last year, an Evening Standard investigation has found. The disclosure comes as the authority's managers face mounting criticism for their almost total failure to provide bus and Tube service during last week's snowfall.

Will Boris be cutting their salaries? I don't think so.

- David, London UK

How unfair is that? To make matters worse, nobody has offered me a refund on my travelcard/buspass for last Monday after the mayor cancelled all buses. So they are going to profit by saving costs eg. gas and also get an additional profit by not paying staff, and still charge me for a service they have failed to provide.

- Kataobi, London, UK

A lady on the till in a supermarket saud this happened at her company. She told me if it snows again they'll just call in sick.

- Js, Greenford

Unbelievable - Boris brings London to a grinding halt for the day (little or no gritting, stops the buses, tubes/trains not running or partial service) and advises everyone to stay at home - then has the cheek to dock pay!! Did the staff in his office who couldn't get in get their pay docked?

- Andy, London

This is discusting, alot of people who work on the tube network, live outside the area of London and when train services were not working how were peoplemeant to get work? Boris Johnson can get to work easy he has a bike, not all people have a bike and dont live this close to london.

- Benjamin Roe, Essex UK

I think anyone treated like this should take two day's off sick. It wouldnt happen again. Most people are honourable whenit comes to getting to work.

- John, Wapping

Just like the rest of us so what's the problem?

- Marc, Harrow, UK

Gosh how sad for them! I remember having to take more than one days leave when the tube workers had strike after strike and I couldn't get to work. Now this is gross hypocrisy. Live with it if you don't go to work you don't get paid!!!

- Kj, Wellington, NZ

When I worked at London Transport there was quite an issue about how many people took the maximum quota of self-certificated Sick Days as leave, too . . .

- Roz, Chamonix, France

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