Even If you’ve been living under a rock, you will probably
have heard about the tube strikes that had made a mess of London occurring from
last Tuesday night till Thursday night. There are fears of another walk out
happening this week depending on talks going on as I type this post.
I think as much as Londoners wanted to murder each other and
more so the TFL staff, it is important to know what exactly is going on. Is Boris
Johnson the culprit for breaking his ‘promise’, or are the RMT and TSSA the villains
feeding into the mind of ‘lazy’ TFL staff members?
According to the metro, In 2008 the mayor signed a petition
opposing his predecessor Ken Livingstone’s plans to shut down 40 ticket
offices. Then in 2010 he went further, telling the London Assembly: ‘No ticket
offices will be closed, alright? They’re not going to be closed. The answer to
the number of ticket office closures is: nil.’ The ‘change of heart’ came in
when talks of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) act emerged. From this,
London Underground is planning to close every tube ticket office with the loss
of hundreds of jobs, arguing that few passengers use them. ‘Managing director
Mike Brown said: "We're committed to implement these changes without
compulsory redundancies and there'll be a job for everyone at LU who wants to
work for us and be flexible’ (independent, 2014). However, Bob Crow and his
team are not buying that.
Would the use of electronic ticket machine be more efficient
or more effective? Would it imply faster services for commuters?
At what cost? The loss
of hundreds of jobs that would inadvertently lead to an increase in the number
of unemployed, an increase in crime rate, an increase in tax burden, a
reduction of economic growth and living standards.
Then again, are we being dramatic? London Underground’s strategy
is to deliver a reliable train service with the highest standards of customer
care. They plan to do this as efficiently as possible through their people and technology
(TransportForLondon, 2014). At my local tube station, there are four members of
staff that stand by the baggage barrier having a laugh and opening and closing
it to the meager amount of passengers with suitcases all day. Is this where my
£90 a month goes to? Maybe what London Underground aims to do is rather than
enforcing redundancies, better-place staff to more significant positions. Without
a doubt, most of the TFL staff are vital and important, but some are leeching,
and for them to be better trained to handle rush hour time and improve the
service would be much more important than helping me open the barrier I am
capable of opening by myself.
As an economist, I consider events with regard to the ‘multiplier
effect’. The strike, was it necessary? We know that both parties have extremely
valid reasons, however, the strike may have and could cause more damage than
the common TFL staff member is aware of. The strike caused a loss of £3.5 million
in revenue. A combination of this and lost time will have an effect on growth,
stocks, businesses, hospitality and tourism, health and just an overall
disregard for TFL staff. Was this a sensible move in gaining the sympathy of
Londoners? A strike is always important in times of oppression or injustice, is
this surely the case now?
Till next time readers, mind the gap.
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