Sir Sadiq Khan has put forward a pay rise to unions after tube strikes crippled London this week, but it won’t stop more walkouts.
As exposed by publicly available documents on Transport for London‘s website, bosses of the transport firm and the Labour Mayor are set to meet on Monday.
During this board meeting, a ‘no conditions’ pay offer, which would see base wages go up by 3.4 percent, will be put on the table to Tube trade unions.
The agenda read: ‘We believe that this offer makes the best use of the budget we have available and will maximise the level of pay increase we can provide for our people.’
These types of unconditional pay hikes are often dubbed as ‘no strings’ by unions to their members.
The move has since been denounced by London Conservatives who have compared it to ‘handing out freebies’, with nothing in place to prevent future industrial action.
Keith Prince, the Tory spokesman at City Hall said Labour need to learn such moves with no conditions are not a form of negotiation.
‘This inflation-busting pay rise does nothing to prevent future strikes, nothing to we have seen this week, and nothing to reassure Londoners that TfL and the Mayor of London have their interests at heart,’ he said.
Sir Sadiq Khan has put forward a ‘no strings’ pay rise to unions after tube strikes crippled London this week
London Underground trains parked at Stratford Market Depot in East London on September 9
Commuters depart a busy train at London Euston station this morning during the Tube strike on September 9
Many cyclists near London Bridge today resemble the ‘Grand Depart’ of the Tour de France on September 9
It comes as tens of thousands of commuters were forced to taxi, walk or cycling around the capital, causing bike collisions to go up by a third within the first few days, according to the London Ambulance Service.
Elsewhere, businesses in Canary Wharf and Westminster were hardest hit with footfall plummeting by 31 percent in comparison to the previous week.
As part of their list of demands, London Underground drivers want two-for-one Legoland tickets and a 32-hour, four-day working week.
However, union sources maintain members discontent with the transport company is in regards to the length of the working week rather than wages.
Previously, TfL bosses have put forward pay rises to union members which were conditional on the basis of accepting changes to working conditions.
Over the years, changes have seen proposed pay bands for different roles, despite unions preferring a flat pay rate.
And in 2022, the Unite trade union threatened to head to the picket lines over changes to the company’s pension scheme.
The Daily Mail has approached Transport for London for comment.
