5 Things You Need To Know About The Tube Strike

What you don't hear in the media...

1. The proposed cuts represent a serious attack from TfL bosses and if unchallenged could put 1,800 Tube workers on the dole

Tube bosses want cuts that are significantly worse than what was known last year. Some 1,800 frontline jobs are under threat. Many workers face pay cuts and downgrading.

Bosses want a 400 percent increase in the number of managers while cutting the overall workforce by 38 percent. Many Tube workers could be forced to work further away from home and some will have their pay slashed by up to £12,000.

2. It's the striking Tube workers that have passenger interests at heart, not Boris Johnson or TfL bosses

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Despite Tube bosses’ reassurances that their cuts plan will mean “more visible staff” they mean fewer staff overall. This has huge implications for safety, accessibility and the quality of the service. Having fewer workers to deal with any incidents or emergencies will make the network less safe.

The cuts are nothing to do with making the service better for passengers. The Tories want the bosses to profit as much as they can from our public services.

3. Striking is the only option for the Tube workers, and they don't take it lightly

Tube workers will lose five days of pay during the current round of strike action. During this period they will be vilified by the media- which isn't exactly the nicest feeling in the world. But if they are serious about stopping the attacks on their jobs and pay, and to passenger safety, then they have no option but to speak the only language that bosses know: profits.

4. TfL bosses are raking it in by ripping off their passengers, now they're coming after their workers

TfL profits are frequently over and above the £700 million mark, while the soaring cost of peak-travel tickets make commuting by train and Tube unaffordable for much of London's population. Bosses now hope to rake in even more cash by removing key parts of the service and squeezing the wages of the remaining workers. The RMT- the trade union of the Tube workers- has been a vocal opponent of privatisation and associated fare hikes, and an advocate of publicly funded transport.

5. Tube workers get decent wages for a reason

Not only do these drivers perform a job that's both highly challenging and important, but they have fought hard for the trade union organisation which has won them decent pay. Hating on better-paid workers won't make the conditions of retail, bar, cleaning, restaurant and call-centre staff any better.

If bosses had their way, we'd all be working for free. The answer for those workers on poverty wages is to get organised and start fighting back too.

Want better conditions in your workplace?

Find out which union is right for you and join up today: tuc.org.uk/join-union

Think we need a united challenge to cuts, bullying management and poverty pay?

Get involved with Unite the Resistance for solidarity actions and cross-workplace coordination: uniteresist.org/