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While many people are concerned about rocketing costs of living this winter, Sadiq Khan has extended a lifeline for some of London’s lowest-paid workers. Staff who clean the tube and other public transport are going to be given free travel in the capital, the London Mayor has announced.
In a move that will benefit around 5,000 people, Sadiq has asked TfL to extend free travel for the lowest-paid contract workers, including security and catering staff. He said the action is ‘unprecedented’ and has also asked TfL to look into improving sick-pay standards. The Mayor is also exploring whether tube cleaning services could be brought in-house next year.
Sadiq said: ‘London’s transport workers, who did so much for us during the pandemic, continue to play an essential and much-valued role in keeping our city’s transport network safe and operating.
‘I’m deeply concerned about the fact the spiralling cost of living is hitting those on lower incomes the hardest. That’s why I’m taking unprecedented action to support London’s lowest-paid transport workers by removing the cost of using public transport.
‘I will continue to do everything I can to help Londoners with spiralling costs, including providing targeted support directly to those on lower incomes, and to prevent financial inequalities widening further so we can continue to build a better, fairer and more prosperous city for all Londoners.’
Mick Lynch, the RMT union’s general secretary, praised Sadiq for the offer. He said: ‘We warmly welcome this news, which is a victory for our campaigning and a big step forward in our campaign to win justice for London’s tube cleaners.
‘For years, we’ve been pointing to the rank injustices in the way these heroic cleaners are treated and we’ve fought to get them a better deal.’
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