Forum Topic

Striking Tube drivers

If you are being disrupted by the Tube strike as you try to go about your business, here are a few facts worth considering.1) What are Tube drivers being asked to do ?'TfL states that drivers will only have to work about four (4 !) Night Tube shifts a year'. Source - Evening Standard.2) How much do Tube drivers earn ? 'Transport for London has now admitted that Tube staff are paid up to £100k a year in salary, pension contributions, allowances and perks including season ticket reimbursements. (For themselves and family members - JH). Three London Underground train operators or instructors are listed as being in the £80,000 to £99,999 category of total remuneration, with an impressive 3,085 between £70,000 to £79,999'. Source The Spectator."Ee 'eck - it's tough down t'pit".

John Hawkes ● 1296d7 Comments

Shouldn't Freedom Passes just be considered as part of the incentive to encourage the use of public transport rather than drive? Must admit mine gets a good bashing going to the theatre, concerts, seminars, meeting friends in pubs and restaurants, etc across London and, coupled with a rail pass, often helps reduce the train fares when visiting places outside London as on many routes it covers the first part of the journey to the Zone 6 boundary.

Michael Ixer ● 1295d

Agreed, if one looks at total renumeration packages then many government and local government employees with final salary pension are probably in the £70K+ bracket. I suppose they've just got to live point enough to get the full benefits?

Michael Ixer ● 1295d

That total renumeration point is total spin. An old employer did that to make the salary seen better.

Alan Sherman ● 1295d

Well I have a Freedom Pass and never use it, only used it now and again. The shops are all nearby, unless needed for the Hospital.

Barbara Stevens ● 1295d

I suspect younger generations may see it differently.Rather like joining a game of Monopoly which has been going on for fourty years.There is no money in the bank, all the utilities and properties have been sold off cheaply and it costs them a fortune in rent, travel and bills just to stay in the game :-)Funding of things like the Freedom Pass make economic and green sense. But so does good efficient public transport in general.I'm not saying that operating a 1980's bus service today meets that criteria. Or that good public transport is a substitute for digital investment.

Ed Robinson ● 1295d

I too have a Freedom Pass and so could be accused of hypocrisy.However I rationalise the situation by telling myself that I paid for it by paying higher rate income tax for more than forty years !

John Hawkes ● 1295d

The union leaders strike because they can. Nobody stands up to them.Livingstone boasted about protecting them, Khan does nothing, Boris didn't stand up to them. The management are useless.They have us over a barrel.Mind you my over 60s travel pass is worth about £350 a month. Idiot Communist policies in action.

Paul Rolink ● 1295d