Tory Mayoral candidate Boris Johnson has unveiled his transport policy, promising a no-strike deal on the Tube. It’s more proof of the reactionary agenda of the ex-public schoolboy Henley MP, who may have a serious chance of winning the election.
Johnson, already infamous for once calling black people ‘picanninies’, said, “The RMT leadership have their thumb around the windpipe of London commuters and it’s time it was prised off. I want to end the chronic strikes by doing a deal with the workforce in which they agree in principle not to go on strike in exchange for an independent arbitration in the case of a dispute on pay and conditions.”
The no-strike deal is a red herring policy designed by the Tories to answer Evening Standard rants about Tube workers. No union should agree to it, and we’re confident that ours won’t. It would mean locking away our most powerful weapon for good. For any Tube worker to vote for Johnson would be a vote to tie ourselves up in chains.
Johnson’s election leaflet promises ‘more police on station platforms’! Excuse us, but staffing railway stations is our job! Whatever next – Tube staff foiling bank robberies?! Johnson plainly has an agenda to cut staff as well as attack our unions.
