SAVE LONDON’S TRANSPORT

4 RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: january 2022 :: RMTnews RMT protested outside Parliament alongside other trade unions last month opposing any attacks on pensions, the imposition of pay freezes and threats to services and jobs, imposed as part of the government’s conditions for bailout out Transport for London. Protesters backed by the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) called for support for a petition that can be signed at www.megaphone.org.uk to Save London’s Transport. London’s public transport system desperately needs a proper funding settlement from the government - but instead, it is attacking it: threatening cuts to services, fare rises, and attacks on the TfL key workers who risked their lives to keep London on its feet during the pandemic. Ordinary Londoners did the right thing during lockdown and stayed home, but this has led to spending on fares for London’s public transport drying up. London’ transport system is too dependent on passenger fares, far more so than most global cities, where government plays its part. The government is now grudgingly offering extra funding, but that support looks set to come with disastrous strings attached - strings that will be bad for anyone who works or travels on London’s public transport. But the public transport system is vital to getting Londoners moving after the pandemic. It’s vital to the national recovery from Covid, and it’s vital to creating a sustainable, green future. Since the start of the pandemic, Transport for London (TfL) has secured more than £4 billion in funding through three government bailouts to keep its Tube and bus services running. But its current deal ran out and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is yet to meet with Mayor Sadiq Khan to discuss another rescue package. If a deal isn’t cut, it could mean bus routes will have to be reduced by a fifth, while London Underground services would be cut by almost 10 per cent. The cancellation of supply chain contracts is also expected to affect 43,000 jobs in Derby, Falkirk, Bolton, Liverpool, Yorkshire, and Ballymena, Northern Ireland. Concerns also remain that the Bakerloo Line will be permanently closed as a way of cutting costs. A £1.6 billion bailout was agreed in May 2020, followed by a £1.8 billion deal in November, which was extended until the end of May. A third deal in June provided a further £1.08 billion to keep the transport network afloat. SAVE LONDON’S TRANSPORT Unions and transport campaigners protest outside Parliament against transport cuts