Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/606/8662
From The Socialist newspaper, 6 January 2010
London Underground: Battle lines are drawn
RMT members on London Underground are justifiably annoyed at the paltry pay award. We were awarded only 1.5%, and at the same time Transport for London (TfL) have increased fares in the capital by record amounts.
Some fares, which affect the poorest sections of society, have gone up by 20% whilst tube Oyster fares in central London have gone up by 12%. Overall bus fares have risen by 12.7% and tube fares by 3.9%.
This is justified by Mayor Boris Johnson with the argument that the £3.2 billion budget deficit has to be plugged. Our bosses will look for further savings by attempting to cut services and jobs. Leaked proposals indicate that up to 144 ticket offices will be closed and up to 1,200 jobs will be axed.
Already scores of jobs around the combine are left vacant, with no intention by management to fill them. Many outlying stations are regularly left unstaffed, which is a health and safety risk for the travelling public - who are already faced with the costliest transport system in Europe.
Our members are faced with a major battle to defend jobs and services. We showed last year that we were willing to take action to defend jobs and we won that battle, despite the efforts of the leaderships of the other rail unions TSSA and Aslef to undermine our strike. Many rank and file members of both unions respected our strike.
We need to prepare to take action again to defend every single job. The money is there to provide a well staffed, cheap and world class tube service for the capital. The government found £100 billion for the banks in 2009 alone.
TfL is in financial crisis because of the vast sums of money wasted on Public Private Partnership schemes.
We will not allow management to dismantle our promotion structures, job security, pensions or safe working conditions.
Unity is strength.
Reg Johnston, RMT
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In The Socialist 6 January 2010:
Socialist Party campaigns
No more fare rises, no more cutbacks!
International socialist news and analysis
Support needed for socialists in Sri Lanka
Socialist Students
Mandelson savages university funding
Socialist Party workplace analysis
British Airways cabin crew dispute
Socialist Party news and analysis
Chilcot inquiry: Blair - a willing warmonger
Devon - waste incinerator plan shelved
Academies: 'Hands off Weston Favell' wins!
Socialist Party Marxist analysis
2010 - Savage social cuts, workers' resistance and growth of socialist ideas
Socialist Party review
Socialist Party workplace news
South Wales signal workers on strike
London Underground: Battle lines are drawn
Metaldyne workers fight bosses' sweeping attacks
Support striking Devon health workers
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