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Union fury at Tube chiefs' NYC trip
Dick Murray and Ellen Widdup26.10.09
Tube staff are threatening strike action over plans to send London Underground bosses to New York to advise the city on its subway system.
The RMT and Unite unions claim the scheme - which will see New York's Metropolitan Transport Authority charged up to $200 (£125) an hour for each LU adviser - "beggars belief".
Bob Crow, leader of the RMT, said the proposal had dramatically increased the threat of a walkout over pay.
"If these people are as good as they are being cracked up to be then they should remain in London sorting out our problems," he added.
MTA chairman, American Jay Walder, was previously TfL's managing director for finance and planning. He returned to New York two years ago.
A TfL spokesman confirmed the plan but said it was at an "initial stage".
Reader views (5)
Just wait until the run up to the Olympics, we haven't seen anything from Bob and the brothers yet, he will squeeze us dry.
- Carl, London
Bob Crow is just agitating. TfL has had a number of consultancy contracts with other underground railways, such as in Hong Kong, for many years.
I would have thought additional money coming into the company would be a good thing, not a reason to strike!
- Matthew, London
It's sour grapes. Bob Crow's just miffed that nobody's considering paying him and his union cronies to go and advise anyone in New York. Mind you, given his record of industrial action, nobody in their right mind would pay him to help them run a transport system, only to wreck it.
- Sarah, London
So long as LUL will make a profit from charging New York £125 an hour, taking transport and accommodation into account, then what's the problem?
- Roy, England
"Bob Crow, leader of the RMT, said the proposal had dramatically increased the threat of a walkout over pay."
Jesus, will somebody change that stuck record for gods sake!
Red = Stop;
Green = Go;
£45000 please!
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
