Obituary: The firebrand who led London’s transport staff March 11, 2014 WHEN BOB Crow was challenged last month about sunbathing in Brazil while his union headed towards a series of strikes on the London Underground, he replied in his typically brusque manner: “What do you want me to do, sit under a tree and read Karl Marx every day?” Crow’s fight for rail workers since winning [...]
Union leader Bob Crow passes away March 11, 2014 The 52 year old leader of the Rail Maritime Transport (RMT) union Bob Crow has passed away. He died at Whipps Cross hospital from an aneurysm and heart attack according to initial reports. Geoff Martin of the RMT said in a statement: It is with the deepest regret that RMT has to confirm that our [...]
The boffins have proved it: Commuting makes you miserable February 12, 2014 Who’d be a commuter? Escalating train fares, Tube strikes, people sneezing without covering their noses. My soul’s getting heavy just thinking about it. And now even the boffins at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are weighing in, performing a complex “regression analysis” – a way of comparing lots of different variables, in this case [...]
Commuters set for rough ride as TSSA votes to join RMT strike January 27, 2014 The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) will be joining two 48-hour Tube strikes in an announcement that will sink the hearts of commuters. Manuel Cortes, TSSA general secretary, said: It is now time for Boris to sit down with his staff representatives and negotiate a sensible deal which will protect the safety and security of [...]
Tube and bus fares rise in line with inflation December 3, 2013 THE COST of public transport in London will rise by an average of 3.1 per cent in January, the Mayor of London announced yesterday along with a claim that the change represents a real-term price freeze. Some tickets, including the single bus fare paid in cash and pay-as-you-go daily caps, will be kept at 2013 [...]
There is sadly mass support for nationalisation and price controls | City A.M. November 6, 2013 SLOWLY but surely, the public is turning its back on the free market economy and reembracing an atavistic version of socialism which, if implemented, would end in tears. On some economic issues, the public is far more left-wing than the Tories realise or that Labour can believe. If you think I’m exaggerating, consider the findings [...]
There is sadly mass support for nationalisation and price controls November 4, 2013 SLOWLY but surely, the public is turning its back on the free market economy and reembracing an atavistic version of socialism which, if implemented, would end in tears. On some economic issues, the public is far more left-wing than the Tories realise or that Labour can believe. If you think I’m exaggerating, consider the findings [...]
Letters to the Editor – 31/10 – Show trials, Maglev trains, Best of Twitter October 30, 2013 Show trials [Re: After MPs grilled energy company executives, have select committees become show trials?, yesterday] What was striking about Tuesday’s grilling of energy company executives by the Energy and Climate Change select committee was the extent to which these sessions have become media events themselves. But this is a long way from what select [...]
Strong output update delights Rio’s investors October 15, 2013 FTSE 100-listed Rio Tinto’s shares surged yesterday, after a stellar third-quarter production update that strikes an upbeat note for chief executive Sam Walsh’s first year at the helm. The Anglo-Australian firm reported higher production numbers across most metals and minerals, as well as posting record iron ore production, shipments and rail volumes over the period. [...]
British Rail hits end of the line September 29, 2013 PUB QUIZ question: which Prime Minister abolished British Rail and when? John Major in 1994? Nope, the real answer is David Cameron and, er, today. The former nationalised railway service will cease to exist as a legal entity when the clock strikes 12 tonight, bringing an end to 65 years of existence. Although commuters have [...]