Posted 21st November 2013 | 7 Comments
Underground job loss plan sparks union fury
PLANS to axe 750 London Underground jobs and close all the system's ticket offices have been announced by Transport for London, provoking a furious response from rail unions.
TfL said the changeover would be complete by 2015, and also include 24-hour services on key sections of the Underground at weekends. There has never been a 24-hour service on the Underground in its 150-year history, apart from a few major occasions, such as Coronations. TfL said it would now be possible because the modernisation of various lines which has been carried out in recent years means that maintenance can be concentrated on fewer nights.
But it is the plans to close all 268 ticket offices and the accompanying job losses which have gained most attention. One union spokesman summed up the situation to Railnews with the single word 'outrageous'.
TfL said there would be more staff on duty in ticket halls and on platforms instead. It has also categorised the network's stations into four types. Stations in the leading 'Gateway' group, such as Heathrow and King's Cross St Pancras, will have enlarged and improved enquiry offices.
At most stations, help will come from the staff on duty in ticket halls and elsewhere, who will be equipped with state-of-the-art information devices. There has also been an official commitment to keep all stations staffed during traffic hours.
Transport for London said: "The trend of ticket sales away from ticket offices has surged over recent years and today less than three per cent of all Tube journeys involve a visit to a ticket office. In future therefore, rather than being remote from customers behind closed doors or glass windows, Tube station staff will not be based in ticket offices, but in ticket halls, on gate lines and on platforms, ready and available to give the best personal and face-to-face service to customers."
It added that "before any changes are introduced full safety risk assessments will be carried out. All stations will continue to be appropriately staffed to ensure safe operation and evacuation and to maintain LU’s excellent safety record."
The CBI has welcomed the prospect of 24-hour services, but TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes accused London Mayor Boris Johnson of being the 'hypocrite of the decade'. Mr Cortes said: "It beggars belief that the Mayor was elected in 2008 on a pledge to keep open every ticket office is now planning to close every single one, with all that means for safety and jobs.
"We shall be launching a joint campaign with Labour to reverse this decision and we urge all Londoners to back this campaign to prevent Boris's Long March to the leadership of the Tory system on the back of his lasting legacy of a second class tube network.
"He will leave behind the most expensive tube in the world and one of the most badly supervised, with mobile station supervisors replacing permanent supervisors."
Meanwhile RMT general secretary Bob Crow warned that his union would now be considering a ballot for industrial action.
He said: "No matter how this is dressed up by Boris Johnson and his officials, today’s announcement is all about slashing £270 million from the annual London transport budget and the proposed cuts will decimate staffing levels and hit the most vulnerable users of tube services the hardest. The mayor must believe he is some sort of magician if he thinks he can slash a thousand jobs and still run safe services when everyone knows that staffing has already been cut to the bone while passenger demand continues to rise."
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
Amanda Knopp, London
" hypocrite of the decade".....need I say more?
Graham, Basingstoke
Given there are platform staff and other staff not in ticket offices, how can staff safety be an argument for retaining ticket offices. Likewise if passenger safety is the proirity having staff that can move around, if needed, would be better. Either way I can not see how retaining ticket office staff is a safety thing.
The reason mainline stations need ticket office staff is that there are a lot of different ticket possibilities. Whilst from the vast majority of underground stations the majority of tickets are fairly simple.
Lutz, London
Unfortunately the world has moved on, in terms of technology, level of demand, minimisation of costs, and customer's service expectations, none of which are compatible with the current labour intensive ticketing service.
Resources are better deployed on the concourses and platforms as demonstrated by the DLR, both to improve the level of service, and enhanced security, and further significant progress is expected i all these areas over the next four to five years.
Brian Moore, Brundall
This does not surprise me at all. TfL has no grasp whatsoever of the meaning of the words customer service. The station staff, if you can find them, are all too often rude and unhelpful and the underground is a hell hole for the disabled.
This news bodes ill for the ticket offices on the West Anglia section of the Greater Anglia franchise, for they are to come under the control of TfL in 2015. those offices see a considerable level of customer demand for such things as the purchase of season tickets.
Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
Boris was elected in 2008 on a promise of NO TICKET OFFICE CLOSURES he has repeated this again at more recent Mayoral Question Times so best just take anything he says in future with a Siberian salt mine !
It also explains why the design of the new entrance to Bank Station on Cannon Street does not include a ticket office !
Of course removal of need for ticket offices raises the possibility of creating more step free access given that a simple lift installed in a building above a station down to platform level becomes possible ?
I am surprised this covers all stations given the massive queues that still build up at main line station ticket offices serving those who don't possess an Oyster card !
As for Mike Brown of TFL saying staff will use hand held ticket machines at stations how safe would these be for these staff who would be better located in a cubicle now what could a future Mayor call these cubicles...?
Chris Neville-Smith, Durham
I realise that the role of ticket offices is changing and only a minority of people buy tickets from humans now (on both London Underground and rail travel in general), but a timescale of 2015 seems wildly optimistic. Off-hand, I can think of a lot of changes you'd need to allow time to bed in. I also can't see how you'd have time for any kind of pilot scheme. Switching an entire tube network over to a new system without trying it out in a few stations first seems very risky, and I don't see how two years leaves room for pilots.
Adding in the lengthy time it takes to negotiate and implement staffing changes, I don't see how this is doable over this time-frame.
Tony Pearce, Reading
Speaking as an ex-Southdown Bus Conductor who was not replaced when the Buses went over to single manning, I know that reducing staff does lead to inferior, - slightly inferior, service. Buses stay at Bus Stops longer taking fares for example. But I'm also a realist to know that many Bus services today would not be running on cost grounds if Conductors were still there. Owners do have to manage costs of providing anything and as long as 'Health and Safety' are satisfied then staff numbers can be cut. (There would be severe litigation costs if safety was compromised and an accident happened.) The costs of the railway are paid for by the passengers and tax-payers. What are there opinions on the subject ? As long as the RMT can negotiate no-redundancies then I can't see they have any sort of case.