TfL funding crisis: Sadiq Khan forced to cut 500 Tube station jobs
Sadiq Khan is set to make large job cuts at London Tube stations in a bid to save cash as Transport for London’s (TfL) funding crisis starts to bite.
Between 500 and 600 jobs at Tube stations across London are set to be axed, with larger central London stations to absorb the largest cuts.
Morning Wire understands the cuts are being made to appease transport secretary Grant Shapps, who is calling for serious reductions in TfL costs in funding discussions.
The Evening Standard reports that 250 currently vacant Tube station staff roles will not be filled and that another 250 to 350 workers will not be replaced when they leave their current job.
There are no plans for any formal redundancies.
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has announced it will ballot its members on strike action in response to the job cuts.
A TfL spokesperson said there would be “no detriment to public safety” stemming from the cuts.
It comes as TfL’s latest government bailout is set to run out on Saturday, with Khan warning that he will have to drastically cut services without a new comprehensive funding deal from central government.
The mayor issued a plea last night for quicker movement from the government on talks, with transport secretary Grant Shapps yet to meet with Khan.
The government has blamed City Hall’s unwillingness to slash TfL costs for the lack of progress.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the union “will take whatever action is necessary to prevent staff paying the price for a financial crisis that is not of their making”.
“A financial crisis at TfL has been deliberately engineered by the government to drive a cuts agenda which would savage jobs, services, safety and threaten the working conditions and pensions of our members,” he said.
“The politicians need to wake up to the fact that transport staff will not pay the price for this cynically engineered crisis and we will coordinate a campaign of resistance with colleagues from other unions impacted by this threat. “
Nick Dent, London Underground’s director of customer operations, said: “The devastating impact of the pandemic on our finances have made a programme of change urgently necessary.
“We have been engaging with our trade unions and our staff to seek their views on how we can make London Underground more efficient and financially sustainable, while continuing to deliver the highest standards of safety, reliability and customer service. We have now begun consulting with our trade unions on proposals to change the way we work in the customer service area of London Underground.
“We remain completely committed to retaining our customer service offer, with stations staffed at all times while trains are operating.”
TfL has received more than £4bn in government bailouts since March last year, after the transport body’s revenues plummeted by 90 per cent during the first Covid-19 lockdown.
A TfL report last month said there will be a £6.6bn black hole in the transport body’s finances between 2022 and 2025, after revenues were £1bn less than expected this year.
Khan has warned that he will have to slash bus services and potentially close an entire Tube line without a new deal.
A government spokesperson last night blamed the mayor for the slow movement in the latest round of negotiations.
They said “the mayor agreed to identify new or increased income sources by 19 November”, but that “these have not been identified … we are therefore extending that deadline to 8 December and, once received, government stands ready to begin discussions on further support for TfL”.