Afternoon:
10°c
Tube and rail workers protest at Parliament
Dick Murray5 May 2009
Hundreds of Tube and mainline rail workers protested outside Parliament today over job losses.
They demanded MPs order rail companies and London Underground not to go ahead with further cuts to jobs or services.
Rail companies have axed 3,500 jobs in recent months, LU is cutting 1,000 Tube staff and up to 2,000 more could go at Transport for London. All have refused to rule out compulsory redundancies.
The RMT union also staged a one-hour token strike at Jarvis, the Network Rail contractor, over plans to cut 450 jobs. Leader Bob Crow said: "Bosses are using the recession to have a go at pay, conditions and pensions."
TfL admits it will lose "hundreds" of jobs.
A Tube spokesman said most of its job cuts were due to taking over Metronet's 7,000 staff.
Reader views (8)
"Jim Mcgyvery, Lanarkshire Scotland" - a London underground train driver ?
How does that work then ? Being paid enough to do the job and have two homes ? Just curious !
- Graham, Fleet, Hampshire, 04/06/2009 17:54
Report abuse
It's about time the rail companies did something to reduce ticket prices! The rest of the economy is losing jobs - why not the rail companies? They are privatised aren't they?
- Mark, London, 04/06/2009 16:54
Report abuse
Just wanted to say thanks guys for the support, My wife and 3 small kids will feel a lot better about my pending redundancy and the prospect of facing a bleak future.....I am employed as a train / otm driver with jarvis but by next month I will be joining an ever growing number of unemployed as Jarvis squeezed millions out of the industry and at the first sign of trouble cuts jobs, putting hundreds of loyal workers on the scrap heap.
so again, please remember there are human beings involved here, and i hope that everyone manages to get through these hard times. Even the idiots on this forum who like to mock people
- Jim Mcgyvery, Lanarkshire Scotland, 04/06/2009 16:54
Report abuse
Peaceful protest...not like the G20 rent a mob..see it can be done ...its the riff raff that cause problems.
- Rosie, watford, 04/06/2009 16:54
Report abuse
Don't they know it is illegal to protest outside Parliament Today?
The only person entitled to do that under the Tony Blair anti-protest laws; is Brian Haw himself, as he preceded the Tony Blair anti-protest laws.
Still if Tamils can; why not the British workers as well ?
- Mickyinlondon, london, 04/06/2009 16:54
Report abuse
Erm, Ray, are we being fleeced to use the tube? £5.10 for me to use the tube and bus as much as I like in central London at the weekend.
In Paris it's €8.80, and in Berlin it's €6.10. At those prices, personally I don't think we're doing too badly...
- Mark Lee, Vauxhall, 04/06/2009 16:54
Report abuse
Pathetic! Any excuse for a strike.
How can tfl justify keeping on all their staff when it seems that the tube is now running a five day service on certain lines .ie. victoria line.
Cost is certainly an issue and Im sure that their wage bill is a large percentage of their expenses.
CUT THE STAFF, then cut the fares! We are being fleeced to use the tube, PATHETIC!
- Ray Charles, London, 04/06/2009 16:54
Report abuse
Yes Mark sack the rail staff !! lets have yobs run riot on unmanned stations , lets have less maintenance and more accidents, lets sack drivers and wait longer for our trains,lets have less gaurds so if there is an accident no one is there to help passengers, and fare dodgers can travel without fear of getting caught, lets have all this and more for Mark and his friends so he can feel better that people are sacked .
- Brian, Wiltshire, 04/06/2009 16:54
Report abuse
