Socialist Appeal - Boris beats up workers

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Boris beats up workers

By Socialist Appeal

Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, was the man who didn’t let the buses go out during the snow in London on Monday 2nd February because he thought it was dangerous.

So how did he expect people to get in to work? Now he’s docking transport staff a day’s pay for not making it in. The managers who are making the threat are claiming that they were ‘working from home.’ So they get their money.

Last week he appeared before Parliament’s Home Affaire Select Committee and praised workers for their “heroic efforts” to keep London moving in the snow. Next week he docks their pay.

"We think this is gross hypocrisy on the Mayor’s part," said Manuel Cortes, assistant general secretary of the TSSA rail union.

"He cancels all the buses and most of the tube and urges Londoners not to risk trying to get to work in the worst snow storm for a generation.

"So our members could not get in because Boris had effectively halted all public transport, because the main line trains weren’t running either.

"And yet here he is wanting to penalise them because of his own actions. It is unfair and he should tell Transport for London to stop being so mean to its loyal staff.”

Boris’ mayoral salary is £137,579. He doesn’t think it’s enough, so he moonlights as a columnist for the Telegraph. He trousers an extra £250,000 a year for that. And when we get a little bit of snow the capital grinds to a halt.

This is what the Tories are really like. Watch out – this lot wants to run the whole country.

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