The transport unions are at it again. It’s a new year, but the same story: despite being generously paid as it is, they want yet more money.
Tube staff have been offered a bonus of £500 – or an extra £20 per shift – to work during the Olympics but have rejected it as wholly inadequate.
Their rejection smacks not only of greed but of selfishness: if the Bob Crowe, the RMT union leader, and his cronies had accepted London Underground’s not unreasonable offer, it would still have cost fare and taxpayers in the region of £7 million.It is also unpatriotic in the extreme. The 2012 Olympic Games are our chance to showcase the city of London to the world and, to do that properly, we need a transport system that will run smoothly – not one that will be held to ransom by its mean spirited staff.
Tube unions: if you’re reading this, it’s time for a change of heart. If the Olympics are to be a success, not a shambles, then we all need to be prepared to make sacrifices.