TRANSPORT UNION RMT warned today of severe pressures on staffing levels and serious safety risks across the transport system as experts advised that up to 40% of the population could become ill with the swine flu over the coming weeks.

Transport workers are known to be at greater risk of infection as they tend to work in close contact with the public and colleagues, and often in confined spaces like trains, buses, the Underground, ferries and offices.

Reports today suggest that a meeting between the government and emergency services has raised specific concerns about the impact on transport services including trains, airports, ferries and bus services. RMT are demanding to see the contingency and safety plans that have been drawn up and to be included in future discussions on coping with the pandemic.

The London Underground is identified as being a high risk area. RMT today dismissed claims from Transport for London that they would simply run a reduced service as there will be less people travelling as “dangerous nonsense that’s miles out of touch with the safety implications of running services with inadequate staffing levels.”

Bob Crow, RMT general secretary, said today:

“We are demanding to see the contingency transport plans that have been drawn up in Whitehall and to be involved in future discussions on dealing with the flu pandemic. RMT members are seriously concerned about the safety implications of so many staff being off sick at the same time.

“If the predicted development of the swine flu is accurate it will have a devastating impact on transport services and will expose both the shortage of staff and the inadequate planning across our fragmented system.

“London is expected to be hardest hit and it would be a dangerous gamble to try and run services without adequate staffing levels,” Bob Crow said.