Poll Shows Staff Cuts Cause Fear of Travel in London
RMT COMMENT ON POLL SHOWING FEAR OF VIOLENCE ON LONDON TRANSPORT
Today, the End Violence Against Women coalition has published the results of a YouGov survey showing that 28% of women and 15% of men do not feel safe travelling on London transport at all times of the day and night.
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said “It is shocking and deplorable that so many of London’s passengers do not feel safe, and it is clear from this survey that lack of staff is the key reason. RMT calls on Transport for London and London Underground to commit to making no further staff cuts, and to reverse the cuts it has already made.”
Women survey respondents identified staffing as the main area in which they wanted to see action. Janine Booth, who represents London Transport workers on RMT’s national executive, said, “TfL’s policy of stripping staffing levels to the bare minimum has left many women, and some men, afraid to travel. We have millions of jobless people looking for work, and important work that needs to be done making our transport safe and accessible. TfL and London Underground should create jobs and increase staffing.”
RMT is campaigning against violence, opposing cuts to women’s refuges, and will be asking all transport employers to implement a policy to support victims of domestic violence.
Full details of the survey are available from End Violence Against Women, here.
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Geoff Martin
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