After photos emerged of packed London Underground services, train unions have said that they may take industrial action and stop trains If action is not taken to ensure that staff and drivers are protected. Tara Pilkington brings you the latest.
As many people return to work following seven weeks of lockdown, following updated guidelines from Boris Johnson on Sunday 10 May, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union have said Boris Johnson’s return to work message has been “fraught with danger”.
This comes after photos were taken at Finsbury Park station on the Victoria line which showed commuters, most of which were men, standing inches apart in carriage door wells with few wearing masks.
The general secretary, Mick Cash, has said strike action could be necessary to “protect workers and passengers”, adding that staff would be entitled to refuse to work if they did not feel safe.
With daily numbers last April of nearly 4 million, that would mean limiting the number of people using the network to get to work to as few as 600,000.
- Transport for London on Monday said it would have to reduce passenger numbers to 13-15% of normal levels to achieve physical distancing of two metres.
- On Wednesday morning, reports indicated that the number of commuters remained relatively low at 63,000, up 7% on the previous day.
