Tube Strikes - are we in France?
Here in London we are under attack again. The RMT, one of the Tube Worker’s unions, has decided to picket for better pay…. again. This is bringing travel chaos to thousands and normality is unlikely to return to normality until Friday. To add insult to injury, I found out the following with regards to Tube workers terribly unjust starting salaries:
· Button Pushing Tube Drivers: £40,000
· Chair Warming Station Supervisors: £35,000
· Unhelpful Station Assistants: £29,000"How can someone live on such paltry wages?" you ask. Well, considering the Average UK Salary is £24,908, most of the country seems to do just fine. I also understand that everyone gets overtime and generous holiday allowances in addition to free travel for the employee and their spouse/partner!
It’s a shame to think that egotistical leaders such as Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, can misuse their influence to get workers to strike in the middle of a recession without any personal risk. Actually, I can think of another public figure that misused his influence in a similar way… though he didn’t fare very well in the end... To hold a city to ransom (the Tube is the life blood of London) is criminal… no, wait, stealing and ignoring health and safety standards are criminal (the sacking of two staff for exactly these offences is cited as reason for the strike).
The only way that we can put a stop to this is to reduce our reliance on Public Transport by cycling / walking more and also having Tube staff take a stand and not join the Union. But then where would all these loud mouthed Union leaders go? Well, they could fare too badly in Government with parties such as the BNP getting seats in the European Parliament.
I extend my sympathy to everyone who will be spending time locked in trains or stuck at bus stops in the rain due to overcrowding. However, if you get yourself a bicycle, you might be able to join the like of me who are cruising home in spite of the strike.