Johnson promises no strikes and later tubes

[Mojo]

From theguardian

The Conservative mayoral candidate, Boris Johnson, launched his transport manifesto yesterday by promising to obtain a no-strike agreement on London's train and underground systems.

Pledging to end what he dubbed "commuter purgatory", he also vowed to provide later tube trains for an extra hour on Friday and Saturday nights and rid the streets of bendy buses.

The Tory MP for Henley said: "The RMT [Rail Maritime and Transport Workers' union] 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."

Johnson condemned the current mayor, Ken Livingstone, over his efforts to get more cars off the road and vowed to rephase traffic lights which are used to slow traffic down. "If you doubt that the current mayor is fond of the cattle prod, look at the measures he has used to make life hell for the independent motorist," he said. "The number of traffic lights has increased from 4,800 to 5,800 and many of them have been rephased to provoke the maximum tie-chewing frustration. Routes have been pinched and cramped in a way that is downright sadistic."

The unions reacted furiously to Johnson's no-strike agreement plans.

"Boris Johnson is living in cloud cuckoo land if he believes this kind of approach could ever work," an RMT spokesman said. "RMT does not sign no-strike deals and would never give up its right to strike. More working time is lost in Britain through injuries sustained at work as a result of poor employers than through industrial action."

The Livingstone campaign described Johnson's vision for London as "ill-formed and chaotic".

"Boris Johnson announces in his manifesto he will design and bring back a replacement Routemaster [double-decker bus] with conductors," a spokesman for the Livingstone campaign said. "Even to replace the bendy bus routes with buses with conductors would cost £108m a year, not the £8m a year falsely claimed by Boris Johnson. This would require a 15% increase in bus fares in London."

Among other proposals outlined by Johnson was a review of the congestion charge zone in west London, increased cycle parking and new fixed-penalty fines on utility companies which leave "huge enigmatic holes in the road".

If elected mayor, Johnson said, he would scrap the new £25 daily charge for the most polluting cars and the exemption for smaller vehicles, announced by Livingstone last month.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/mar/04/boris.london

 

[Guinness]

Both parties talk complete and utter tripe.

 

[Metroland]

I suspect they'll be going on strike over the right to strike..

Arbitration? Hmn, ask the police about that one..

 

[DavyCrocket]

Well neither of them are going to happen as LUL don't like arbitraition an none of the 4 recognised Unions will go for a no strike deal!

As for later running the police (mainly) put a stop to that!

 

[Nym]

We spent decades in the 17 and 1800s for the right to strike, do they think they can take that away with one signature, the right to strike is written in law, and cannot be taken away by a signature, it can be reduced and require increased notice and regulated, but it cannot be removed, the same as the work time directive shift hours time regime, you cannot work more than a 13 hour shift in a 24 hour period, although you can sign out of the 48 hour working week, you cannot sign out of the 13 hour day...

 

[will1337]

Maybe he will raise fares by 100% and have a backup of the entire staff of LUL just incase the normal staff are on strike.

 

[Nym]

And bore a 2nd set of tunnels

 

[Snapper]

It's hardly inspiring when you see Boris Johnson making promises he can't possibly deliver on. He would be in no position to impose a no-strike deal, and the whole thing about bendy-buses is just populist nonsense.

God help us Londoners (and anyone who visits) if he ever got in.

 

[Andrew Tiffin]

So there will be no tube strikes from now on.

 

[P156KWJ]

It's hardly inspiring when you see Boris Johnson making promises he can't possibly deliver on. He would be in no position to impose a no-strike deal, and the whole thing about bendy-buses is just populist nonsense.

God help us Londoners (and anyone who visits) if he ever got in.

no - I won't visit if BJ gets in!!

 

[saeybia]

hmm, guess he was talking aload of rubbish then, lol has the tube opened later? hmm, nope! has he gotten rid of strikes? hmm nope, planned one next week for the Victoria line, hmm, strange that, lol

 

[90019]

And the point in resurrecting 2 threads, both over a year old, being...?

 

[saeybia]

maybe because I have just read it!! doh!!