RMT press releases

30th October

No new money in bogus "£85 billion rail plan" as RMT exposes double accounting and phoney figures behind the spin

RAIL UNION RMT today slammed industry bosses club the Rail Delivery Group for pumping out the same old stream of bogus propaganda this morning in a desperate bid to con people into buying their claim that private train operating companies are investing in the UK when, in fact, they are robbing hundreds of millions of pounds from the British people to invest in domestic transport operations in other parts of Europe.

TUBE UNION RMT today demanded the immediate staffing  of ALL London Underground stations – or the closure of stations when they are unstaffed – after  another dangerous incident at an unstaffed station. 

At Ruislip station last Friday (20 Oct) as a train was pulling into the platform, a young person jumped from the platform onto the tracks. Due to the driver’s quick reactions he was able to bring his train to an emergency stop which prevented the youth being hit. 

TUBE UNION RMT today demanded that London Underground halt and reverse maintenance cuts and key asset sales after if emerged that reductions in vegetation management and the flogging off of a key piece of kit were major factors in the “wheel flats” fleet crisis that has dogged services on the Piccadilly Line for a number of years. RMT is warning that the next round of cuts being lined up to the TFL budget could unleash similar travel chaos but on an even wider scale.

TUBE CLEANERS UNION RMT is organising a demonstration outside City Hall this week to protest against poor pay and conditions as a result of outsourcing.

The demonstration will take place on Thursday 12 October at 09:00, Thursday 12 October at City Hall, The Queen's Walk, SE1 2AA

TAXI UNION RMT today welcomed Transport for London's ruling that Taxi app firm Uber will not be issued with a private hire operator licence renewal.

Responding to London Overground ticket office and staffing proposals plans, RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said;

"RMT is deeply concerned about the proposals which in our view could see the elimination of ticket offices across London Overground. Our experience in the past shows that, despite promises to the contrary, the closure of ticket offices leads to the wholesale destafiing of stations with serious consequences for safety and security. 

General Secretary Mick Cash said;

"RMT is aware of the incident at Parsons Green this morning and the unions safety reps are awaiting further facts from London Underground. The union is supporting our members at this time.

"The incident shows once again that tube staff are the first responders in emergency situations and the clear need for safety and security to remain the number one priority and for the resources and staffing to be in place to deal with all eventualities."

TUBE UNION RMT warned today that the Night Tube on the Piccadilly line is in crisis with a serious lack of trained train operators available to run the service.

RMT has been informed that the amount of drivers available to run the Mayor’s flagship Night Tube service on the Piccadilly Line is now so low that last weekend saw only 7 trains running instead of the normal 22 – a near reduction of 70%. The union understands that the situation could continue until Christmas.

Tube union RMT today called for an independent inquiry into London Undergrounds disastrous stations job cuts programs " Fit for the Future " after the ORR - the government regulator - issue London Underground with a legal "improvement notice " following the tragic death of a customer at Canning Town on the 29th of  January this year .

The RMT have repeated demands for  the reversal of TFL and Network Rail cuts follokwing this morning's transport chaos.

General Secretary Mick Cash said;

"The state of transport services right across London this morning serves as the clearest possible warning to this Government that their policy of hacking back the budgets of both Network Rail and Transport for London risks dragging tube and rail in the capital city into permanent chaos.