London’s transport workers stage protest

Tens of Transport for London workers staged an impromptu march to City Hall waiving placards targeting Mayor Boris Johnson and his apparent plan to cut travel allowances for staff. They called him and his officials hypocrites as they claim huge sums of money for transport each year, yet they want to scrap travel rights of workers.

The members of Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) said it was a disgrace as these people claim for 100 per cent of their travel expenses despite their higher earnings and workers, who get considerably less in remuneration, will lose all travel privileges. Staff have apparently been waned by top bosses that if they do not accept a new three-year pay deal, they will lose their travel allowances that are an added bonus for working for Transport for London.

TfL confirmed that the offer had been made to their staff and said it was well above inflation rates and quite good considering the economic turndown. The spokesman added that more than half of the workers had already accepted the deal, which includes the same staff travel allowance. Senior management at TfL have also had their pay frozen for the past year and will also have the same for 2010. Bonuses for these employees have also been reduced by up to 10 per cent, so the general workers do seem like they are getting a good deal.

The deal has been on offer for a while now, and those that do not take it soon could well be without a contract as their old one comes to its end.