Workers who clean the underground and other public transport in London are to be given free travel, Sadiq Khan has announced.
The mayor of London has asked Transport for London to extend free travel on the capital’s public transport for the lowest-paid contract workers, as well as for catering and security staff. The move will benefit about 5,000 workers who were not previously eligible for free travel.
Khan said he was taking the “unprecedented” action to ease the financial pressure faced by the lowest-paid transport workers. He has also asked TfL to look into whether sick pay standards for low-earning workers could be improved, and to conduct work early next year to assess TfL’s ability to bring cleaning services in house.
Khan 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, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, 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.”
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