Tube Strikes Against Proposed Job Cuts

10,000 Transport for London staff are set to strike on the 6th September in protest against the removal of 800 jobs. The jobs to be removed are ticket office postions.

The reasoning of course is that many ticket office positions just aren't needed. According to statistics, some offices sell less than 10 tickets and hour and of course this isn't the most practical use of the staff. But of course, there aren't enough non-ticket office positions for the current staff to be moved into, hence the proposed extensive job cuts.

The reason being given for the opposition against the cuts is that reducing the number of staff would cause certain stations, including our own Hampstead, to become unsafe. According to Bob Crow, quoted in the Ham&High, it would "turn the network into a muggers' paradise".

Ironically, the unions are using the comfort of passengers as their reason for fighting the lay-o***, yet their strikes could inconvenience us for days, with two more proposed dates during October and November.

It seems to me the unions are fighting a losing battle. It's clear that as technology advances, certain jobs just won't be required. Ticket machines are (generally) as efficient as a person and, once they're installed, don't need a salary. It seems a shame to inconvenience the general public over something that to be honest, is likely to happen.