Walkouts in London number almost one a week – the Government needs to get tougher
Posted by GLA Conservatives in Opinion
The Government needs to get tougher with union barons, especially with public transport strikes. The UK may be bracing itself for a day of mass walkout, but there have already been 20 days of Tube strikes in London this year, the equivalent of almost a day a week. It’s barmy that power control room staff on the Underground are currently in the middle of a two week strike, despite earning £54k basic salary plus generous perks. Private sector workers such as cabbies, office secretaries or cleaners – on half the wage – wouldn’t be able to get away with it. The Mayor needs to lobby for New York style, judge led, mediation, which would protect workers’ rights and stop commuters and businesses from being hit by chaos and loss of pay.
You can sign my Government e-Petition on protecting workers by reforming public transport strike laws here.
Do the decent thing, break these pointless strikes, and turn up to work
Brace yourselves Londoners, the unions are once again threatening Tube strikes from Tuesday, this time lasting for eight days. In the 21st century it is ridiculous that we have a system that encourages militant trade union bosses to behave in this way – despite their members getting decent pay, generous pensions and free travel for flatmates. We urgently need to replace public transport strikes with independent judge-led mediation to protect commuters from this ongoing misery. If you're a power worker on the London Underground, I urge you to do the decent thing, break these pointless strikes, and turn up to work as usual.
You can sign my Government e-Petition on protecting workers by reforming public transport strike laws here.
Sick of strikes?
The system is broken and it's time the Government replace public transport strikes with an independent mediation process.
Sign our Government E-Petition: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/58230
Read more about our plan in our Struck Out report https://glaconservatives.co.uk/so
Richard Tracey: Strike reform is urgently needed
Once again, we find ourselves under threat from yet another potential tube strike. RMT members are being balloted on a possible “significant few days of action” in the New Year according to union bosses.
Whether or not the strike ultimately goes ahead, just the threat of action will make life worse for ordinary Londoners. If strike action does happen, then London’s economy will suffer but so will the many Londoners who will not get paid if they do not go to work.
Research shows that one day of tube strikes costs the City’s economy around £48 million, reflecting costs to businesses and the many hard-working people for whom a tube strike means loss of pay. These people deserve better.
39% average union vote for strikes to go ahead
Calls for shorter working week and triple pay lead to 30 strikes over six year period – costing London over £1bn
Strikes on London’s public transport are going ahead with small minorities of the workforce voting in favour of industrial action.
Strikes on the London Overground this bank holiday weekend (25th – 26th August) have been initiated by just 43% of train guards voting in favour.
Shockingly, this is a relatively strong turnout when compared with new figures which show tube strikes went ahead with an average of just 39% of the ‘yes vote’ over a six year period (2005-2011)*, with some successful ballots having a vote as low as 20%. The six year period has seen 30 strikes with reasons including calls for a shorter working week and triple pay on Boxing Day.
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