RMT demands that Mayor lift congestion charge from London lifeboat staff
Thames waterways union RMT today demanded that London Mayor Sadiq Khan exempt staff working at Tower RNLI station from the congestion and ULEZ charges warning that a failure to recognise the vital contribution of this group of staff at the UK's busiest lifeboat station is robbing them of hundreds of pounds a month.
RMT has written to both the Mayor and TFL boss Mike Brown requesting that the RNLI staff be exempt from the charges. The request has been turned down flat and the union is now ratcheting up the pressure as river traffic is expected to escalate over the coming weeks as the lockdown is eased.
The RNLI staff have been advised not to use public transport and have found themselves caught in a charging trap which is set to deepen when the congestion charge timings are extended from the 22nd June.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said;
“It is nothing short of a scandal that the RMT members at the Tower lifeboat station, the busiest in the country, are being hammered by the escalation and extension of congestion charging as they support our volunteer crews in their lifesaving work. We are demanding that the Mayor take urgent action to right this wrong.
“It is expected that river traffic will escalate profoundly over the coming weeks as the lockdown is eased and the contribution of the Thames RNLI staff to ensuring safety on the river must be recognised.
“Our members are calling for nothing more than fairness and justice and Sadiq Khan must face up to this scandal on his watch and do the right thing.”
- Press releases on this site are taken from www.rmt.org.uk.
- 6901 reads
Related content
> RMT National News
RAIL UNION RMT members working as Train Managers for Chiltern Railways will take a further 24 hours of strike action this Saturday (17 October) as the company continues to refuse to provide guarantees over the safety-critical role of the second person on board proposed East West Rail services.
Maritime union RMT has welcomed Skills England’s decision on the future of maritime apprenticeships, including the vital Seafarer Deck Rating apprenticeship, which plays a crucial role in supporting jobs, skills and careers in Britain’s coastal communities.
OFFSHORE UNION RMT has condemned the introduction of Offshore Energy UK’s (OEUK) safe weight limit policy which comes into effect on 01 November 2026, warning that the restrictions could have serious consequences for offshore workers, their employment, and their livelihoods.
An RMT member employed as a London Underground Revenue Control Inspector faces possible dismissal after intervening during an assault on staff and a passenger at Bond Street station.
RMT members working as Train Managers for Chiltern Railways will be taking 24-hour strike action tomorrow (Saturday 10th October and also Saturday 17th October) after the company refused to provide guarantees over the safety critical role of the second person on board proposed East West Rail services.
- 1 of 11
- next ›