RMT on today’s Office of National Statistic figures revealing bus and taxi drivers have raised risk of COVID-19 death
TRANSPORT UNION RMT is demanding that the Government take urgent action in the wake of figures published today by the ONS which show that male bus and taxi drivers were amongst the occupations with a raised rate of death involving COVID-19.
RMT warns of chaos on transport services in the morning as Government urges return to work.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said today;
"The Governments "return to work" policy from Wednesday morning risks unleashing total chaos on a transport network which has not been told to prepare for a rise in numbers until next Monday. This is a ridiculous and dangerous way to treat both staff and passengers alike and will have potentially lethal consequences.
TRANSPORT UNION RMT today issued fresh guidance to members across rail and tube to refuse to work where safety is compromised due to the potentially lethal consequences of the Governments confused and contradictory messaging over the COVID-19 lockdown.
The union warning has come as it has become clear that the Government is shifting away from the stay at home message, unleashing a surge in passengers on rail and tube from tomorrow, breaching social distancing measures with potentially lethal consequences for both staff and the public.
Commenting on the dash to jack up transport service from 18th May, General Secretary Mick Cash said;
"There is a headlong dash to lift the lockdown on our transport services for the 18th May and it is fraught with danger for both passengers and staff alike.
"To maintain the Governments own social distancing guidance would mean huge logistical and staffing input to manage passenger flows onto trains and it is imperative that all staff involved in this process are properly protected.
TUBE UNION RMT has today called on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to personally meet, via video conferencing, a delegation of tube cleaners to discuss their employment concerns as a new survey shows a majority of cleaners believe their employer, cleaning contractor ABM, is putting profit before safety during coronavirus crisis.
"The report leaked this morning to the BBC exposing the impact on passenger numbers of maintaining Government social distancing guidelines on the tube is a wake up call to all those tub-thumping for a jacking up of transport services from May 18th without properly assessing the consequences.
Britain's three rail unions - ASLEF, RMT and TSSA - have written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, and Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, saying this is not the time to lift the lockdown and run more trains.
The joint letter - signed by Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF; Mick Cash, general secretary of RMT; and Manuel Cortes, general secretary of TSSA - says it is 'completely unacceptable' to put the lives of passengers and rail staff at risk.
TUBE UNION RMT comment on warnings tube will be "rapidly overwhelmed" when lockdown is lifted in a leaked document from the London Strategic Coordination Group.
General Secretary Mick Cash said;
RMT warns there is zero chance of agreement to government plans to increase transport services on 11th May in current climate as survey of 10,000 transport workers reveals widespread failings to protect key transport workers and passengers from COVID 19.
TUBE UNION RMT today blasted as disgraceful and disgusting a decision by Transport for London to deny tube cleaners, who have put themselves on the line throughout the Coronavirus crisis to keep essential workers moving, the basic right to free travel.