30 Aug 2010

Message from striking London Underground staff to passengers


WHY WE ARE STRIKING: TO DEFEND SERVICES, SAFETY AND JOBS

London Underground plans to:

get rid of around 800 station staff posts
reduce ticket office opening times by around 7,500 hours
carry out essential maintenance checks on trains every four weeks instead of every two weeks
cut the number of train drivers’ posts
Tube trade unions RMT and TSSA have tried for months to persuade London Underground to scrap these unnecessary and dangerous cuts. We have spent hours in talks, have lobbied politicians, and have won lots of support from passengers. But London Underground and the Mayor have not listened.

London Underground has left members of the two unions with no choice but to hold strikes and other industrial action. We are prepared to lose money by striking because we are not prepared to see London’s workers and passengers put at risk, left without help, or have vital services withdrawn. We are professional railway staff and we want to be able to do our jobs safely and properly.

We believe that people who live in, visit and work in London need:

a safe, secure London Underground
open ticket offices
more Tube staff, not fewer
job opportunities for unemployed people and school-leavers
We understand that strikes can cause disruption and distress. We want the staff cuts withdrawn so that we do not have to carry on striking. Please support our campaign.

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Fewer station staff means:

a less safe London Underground
less information and help during delays and disruptions
it will be harder to evacuate stations quickly and safely in the event of an emergency eg. fire, crash, bombing
less help for disabled, elderly and other vulnerable passengers
less chance of you getting the help you need with directions, information, lost property, accidents or other issues
less deterrent to assault, vandalism and other harmful behaviour
you will feel less secure travelling around London Underground

MORE HERE

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