London tube strike “unwarranted on safety or personnel grounds”, says IEA analyst
26 November 2021
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Energy and Environment
In the Media
Mark Littlewood writes for The Times
29 November 2021
Lifestyle Economics
15 November 2024
Commenting on the London Tube strike, Andy Mayer, Environment, Energy and Infrastructure Analyst at free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:
“Londoners may wonder why people who earn £60-100k per year are going on strike over a request to work four nights a year.
“The Night Tube is a small but essential improvement to transport provision that makes a meaningful difference to the safety and comfort of Londoners. In the year 2017/18, the service attracted 8.7 million customers, including the many thousands of night workers who benefitted from the extended timetable.
“This strike is unwarranted on safety or personnel grounds. It can only occur due to the disproportionate power gifted to the RMT by weak management acceeding to their demands on pay.
“This power could be easily broken, either by accelerating the automation of lines, or training standby-drivers from the thousands of applications they receive every year.
“The failure to act meanwhile does substantial economic harm, with the economic damage from tube strikes estimated to be between £10-50m a day, all while putting lives at risk from less safe forms of travel.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
Contact: Emily Carver, Head of Media, 07715 942 731
IEA spokespeople are available for interview and further comment.
“Londoners may wonder why people who earn £60-100k per year are going on strike over a request to work four nights a year.
“The Night Tube is a small but essential improvement to transport provision that makes a meaningful difference to the safety and comfort of Londoners. In the year 2017/18, the service attracted 8.7 million customers, including the many thousands of night workers who benefitted from the extended timetable.
“This strike is unwarranted on safety or personnel grounds. It can only occur due to the disproportionate power gifted to the RMT by weak management acceeding to their demands on pay.
“This power could be easily broken, either by accelerating the automation of lines, or training standby-drivers from the thousands of applications they receive every year.
“The failure to act meanwhile does substantial economic harm, with the economic damage from tube strikes estimated to be between £10-50m a day, all while putting lives at risk from less safe forms of travel.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
Contact: Emily Carver, Head of Media, 07715 942 731
IEA spokespeople are available for interview and further comment.
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