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Tube unions warn of strike
Dick Murray11 Feb 2009
The Tube's two biggest unions today combined forces to warn of strike action across the network to prevent compulsory job losses.
They say up to 3,500 jobs could be lost - more than double the figure disclosed by Transport for London.
Staff and union leaders were staging a protest today outside London Underground headquarters, above St James's station, in protest over the cuts.
They demanded bosses "come clean" over the number of jobs going. Union leaders insist the "real number" is way above the TfL figure.
Tube chiefs have said the network will lose 1,000 jobs - as revealed in the Evening Standard last month - and "hundreds" more from TfL, the parent body.
They have refused to rule out compulsory redundancies as part of the drive to save £2.4 billion.
Gerry Doherty, leader of the TSSA transport union, said: "We have it from senior sources that 2,500 jobs will go at TfL on top of those at LU."
Reader views (12)
Tim, London.
Yeah, scrap the whole lot.
Great thinking that one.
Just one qusetion though.
With no driver on the train, who will save your backside in the event of another terrorist attack like 7/7? Do you know how to get off of a train and walk to safety unaided in a pitch black tunnel with 630v at your feet? The tunnels are like a rabbit warren. Would you know where to go? I think they earn their pay by just putting up with people like you.
The DLR is a different setup altogether. That is just a glorified scalextric set.
- Steve, Gloucestershire, 12/02/2009 08:24
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This reeks of Tim Parker the way he cut the jobs at Kwik Fit and The AA. One has to ask is he still advising Boris, I should think he is. It's not the drivers you want to get rid off, it's the overpaid directors. Why should the staff pay for the mistakes of PPP, something the RMT union advised against but were ignored.
- Roy, Chichester, 11/02/2009 17:34
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Lets all hate the workers on the underground , what gives them the right to stand up for themselves? is this a democracy or something? they should be like the rest of us and live in total fear of our bosses and tug our forelocks whenever he/she appears from his/her ivory tower, well done the rest of you on this forum we need more jealous toadies like you.
- Brian, Wiltshire, 11/02/2009 17:16
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Why not get rid of drivers and run like the DLR? They are paid way way too much, do you ever see job adverts for tube train drivers? The Victoria line I believe needs no driver, they only have one to keep the Unions happy. Just scrap the whole lot, save a heap of £ and next year cut fares by 10% and improve service.
- Tim, london, 11/02/2009 16:51
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Why not run the country into the ground via a recession? That way, no-one will need to commute to a job in London and the tourists will stay away as the capital will be a less attractive place. Then we won't need a Tube.
Oh... Gordon Brown is already doing that...
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland, 11/02/2009 16:23
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These unions have been holding the country to ransom for too long, something needs to be done to stop this. If i decided to go on strike at work for the threat of losing my job i would deserve to lose my job.
Pure greed and ignorance not seeing the big picture. dont bite the hand that feeds you! ultimately the government will help you out if you are unemployed anyway as it always has done!
- Graham, London, 11/02/2009 16:05
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I'm guessing that the 'minister' Terry Chambers wants to stand up for people would actually be Boris, a Tory.
- Anthony, Esher, Surrey, 11/02/2009 13:58
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Alot of people up and down the country are losing their jobs, what special god given right to the underground staff think they are, that they have jobs for life. The government should enforce a no-strike deal, if the union doesnt accept it, sack them all, and only employ staff who agree to these terms.
- Kuldip, London, UK, 11/02/2009 13:40
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the sooner the army is trained to run these things, the sooner we can break the tryanny of these unions.
- Scott, London, 11/02/2009 13:20
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Finally the pigeons come home to roost for the tube unions! All these years holding commuters to ransom in exchange for absurb pay rises/holidays/working hours and now it appears they have priced their own members out of a job.
Good work!
- Mac, Clapham, 11/02/2009 12:39
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Here's how TfL can save £2.4 billion:
Eliminate the budget for designing, producing, and posting in every station, shelter, carriage, and bus, those signs that say "Don't take it out on our staff."
TfL's chief concern is not to provide an efficient service.
TfL's chief concern is having its feelings hurt.
- Alex, London, 11/02/2009 12:32
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As we are in a financial down turn can we not have a minister to stand up to these people and outlaw stikes
for the good of keeping revenue coming in london
Labour need to act swiftly on this
- Terry Chambers, London, 11/02/2009 11:45
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