Tube Staff Reject £500 Olympics Bonus

It’s been announced that London Underground staff have rejected a £500 Olympics bonus. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, which represents thousands of Tube workers, said that the extra pay for working during the Games isn’t adequate enough. Union leaders say the offer has too many demands and strings attached to it.

There’s expected to be a surge in passengers throughout the British capital during the period, prompting demands from union bosses that transport staff be given more pay in compensation. The rejected deal follows RMT striking a deal for about 550 Docklands Light Railway staff last week to get as much as £2,500 to work during the Olympics without taking strike action over extra pay. In addition to this, the union has also struck a deal with London Overground for workers to get £600 bonuses during the summer events. These deals have been described as bribes and ‘ransom payments’ to avoid strikes during the summer events. Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group leader Caroline Pidgeon says RMT appears to be stretching the tolerance of most residents in London by rejecting this improved pay offer.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow made the rejection announcement, saying that they will meet with London Underground again to press their case for a flat-rate payment for all workers that recognises the contribution they will make during the high-pressure Olympics and Paralympics period and that is free from a barrage of demands and strings. Serious offers and deals have been negotiated with Network Rail, London Overground and Docklands Light Railway, and they expect the same from London Underground.

Crow continued that transport has been well-documented to be the biggest logistical challenge during the summer events, with a lot of pressure being put on workers and services due to millions of extra passengers travelling around Greater London and the South East. All they want is a fair deal for the workers involved in providing the huge transport challenge that will be faced this summer, and the negotiations to reach such an agreement are ongoing.

London Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy says that he’s not concerned about the latest breakdown of pay negotiations with RMT over Tube workers who will be scheduled during the Olympics. They will get an agreement with the union, and their staff will be very proud to work during the games, as all of their workers are looking forward to being able to show what they can do.

London Underground director George McInulty says that the summer workers will be asked to be flexible, and they are committed to properly recognising the contribution they will make to a great Olympic and Paralympic Games while keeping the capital moving. They have put proposals forward about how staff could be fairly rewarded based on feedback from their customers and the flexibility the workers show in working different shift patterns. Discussions are ongoing, he added.