Cuts Could Mean Tube Stations Are Left Unstaffed

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Unions claim to have found evidence that 800 ticket office job cuts on the tube will leave stations unstaffed.

The RMT says a leaked TFL document shows stations across the network are already left without staff "from time to time" and this will get worse when cuts are made.

Currently there is an ongoing row between unions and London Underground bosses over plans to cut hundreds of ticket office roles, which has led to a series of strikes - with the next one due to start on November 28.

Bosses say the cuts will not lead to compulsory redundancies and the success of the Oyster card means the way stations are staffed needs to change.

Unions claim it will have a negative impact on safety.

Following the discovery of the document the RMT has stepped up its campaign to try and stop the job losses.

General Secretary Bob Crow said: "There is no way that on an unstaffed station they will be able to communicate with the public in the event of an emergency or pass on service information. This report shows that the cuts are a disaster in the making.

"Unstaffed stations are also a muggers and vandals paradise. The mayor has promised that there will be no unstaffed stations but his officials say not only that there will but that there already are. It's about time they told the public the truth about their cuts plans."

However managers have denied that stations are currently left without staff but has aadmitted after changes come in next year they may occassionally be unmanned temporarily because of sickness.

A TfL spokesperson said: "London Underground has staff at all stations and staff rostered for shifts covering all hours that a station operates. This will not change. On rare occasions, at small above-ground stations, when staff are not available for short periods due to sickness or other unplanned circumstances, a station maybe left unstaffed temporarily while another member of staff is found. This is preferable to closing the station and causing inconvenience to passengers.

"London Underground is a very low-crime environment, with crime falling by 4% last year - just 13 crimes for every million passenger journeys."

Talks aimed at averting further strike action are ongoing at concilliation service ACAS.