By Chenoa Colaco
On 4 January, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) announced two days of strike action in March.
This comes after a vote of more than 10,000 members, which resulted in 94% backing industrial action, although TfL said only about 50% of staff had voted. RMT had instructed all 10,000 members to not turn up for work, starting a minute after midnight on 1 March to 3 March. This will cause closure of the entire Underground network with the possibility of other transport unions joining RMT in solidarity.
TfL notably received negative publicity and industrial action in December 2021 over axing 600 staff jobs in a money-saving scheme. More specifically, TFL is to impose a recruitment freeze on customer services jobs, with about 250 currently unfilled and further 350 posts to go as and when staff leave.
London has appealed to the central government for additional emergency funding to cover revenue losses of billions in tube fares since passengers were advised to avoid public transportation at the outbreak’s start. While demand has returned to roughly 60% of pre-pandemic levels on weekdays, a TfL report on travel trends warned that demand may remain below previous forecasts, with the anticipated increase in journeys failing to materialise following July 2021 when Covid restrictions were lifted.
According to the report, 84 percent of workers anticipate some form of hybrid work in the future, with only about 70 percent of people returning to city jobs entirely.
Andy Byford, London’s Transport Commissioner, confirmed: “The government has [on 17 December] confirmed an extension of its funding support for TfL through until 4 February. However, it is seeking an additional £1.7 billion in funding until April 2023 [and] has committed to spending cuts even under the current settlement.”
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “Our members will be taking strike action next month because a financial crisis has been deliberately engineered by the government to drive a cuts’ agenda which would savage jobs, services, safety and threaten their working conditions and pensions.”
Andy Lord, TfL’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “It is extremely disappointing that the RMT has today announced strike action, as no proposals have been tabled on pensions or terms and conditions, and nobody has or will lose their jobs as a result of the proposals we have set out.”
“The devastating impact of the pandemic on TfL finances has made a programme of change urgently necessary and we need the RMT to work with us, rather than disrupting London’s recovery. We’re urging them to do the right thing for London, talk to us and call off this unnecessary action.”
