London boroughs exceed air pollution limits
MINISTERS have admitted that only two London boroughs
succeeded in keeping atmospheric nitrogen dioxide levels within European Union
toxic gas limits in 2013 – the most recent year for which figures are
available.
These two were Bromley and Sutton – on the outer edges of
the capital. All the other London boroughs exceeded the limit.
Nitrogen dioxide is a pollutant created by diesel vehicles.
The figures suggest that 24-hour EU limits for another pollutant, fine
particulates known as PM10s, were met in every borough.
But limits for a more harmful, smaller pollutant, PM2.5,
were missed in seven boroughs: Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington and
Chelsea, Westminster, Ealing, Tower Hamlets, Camden and Brent.
Sadiq Khan, the Labour MP who is campaigning for his party’s
nomination as mayoral candidate, and who requested the numbers, said: “These
figures paint a dismal picture of London’s long-term efforts to tackle air
pollution and underline the need for a much bolder and more radical approach.”
Diane Abbott, also hoping to be Labour’s candidate foe
London mayor, last month forced a House of Commons debate on rising air
pollution in the capital.
Paddington rally for two major rail strikes
MEMBERS of the RMT rail union, the train drivers’ union
Aslef, TSSA and Unite held a rally on Wednesday evening 8th July in
Paddington in support of two major rail strikes due to start on Wednesday
evening – on First Great Western and on the London Underground.
The LU dispute centres on plans by Transport for London and
London Mayor Boris Johnson to introduce 24-hour running of some LU lines at
weekends.
Talks on Tuesday to avert the planned 24-hour strike failed.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “RMT has received the latest offer from
London Underground during the ACAS talks today
“Our representatives on London Underground have discussed it
and are clear that it is divisive and unacceptable. While a small minority of
staff are being offered a non-consolidated one-off lump sum the remainder of
staff are ignored and the key issues of work/life balance and the personal
health and safety concerns are side lined.
“The deal as it stands is financed off the back of the
proposed axing of over 800 safety-critical station jobs and is deliberately
constructed to play individuals off against each other in the most cynical
fashion.
“RMT is a democratic organisation and the views of our reps
on LU are being taken into account. There will be a meeting of the union
executive tomorrow morning at which there will be a recommendation to reject
the offer.
“As is normal in all industrial negotiations RMT will remain
available for talks.”
There are also fears that the extra costs of keeping the
Underground running all night will result in cuts to the London night bus
services.
The First Great Western dispute centres on the introduction
of new Hitachi Inter-City trains leading to a threat to jobs and safety. Talks
to avert the strike failed on Monday.
The RMT union said on Monday: “Talks aimed at settling a
dispute on First Great Western over the threat to jobs and safety from the
introduction of the new Hitachi Inter-City trains have broken down without
agreement and the 48 hours of strike action across the company starting at
18.30 hours on Wednesday 8th July goes ahead as planned.
“There will also be a rally in support of RMT’s members on
FGW in their dispute at 17.00 hours Wednesday 8th July at Paddington
station.”
RMT said that First Great Western were simply playing for
time in the talks and were going through the motions rather than tackling the
fundamental issues at the heart of the dispute and addressing the union’s key
points which are:
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To keep a safety competent guard on every train.
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To keep safety critical station despatch staff.
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To keep buffet car facilities on every train.
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To ensure that the maintenance of new rolling
stock remains in-house.
Mick Cash said: “RMT has made
every effort to secure a series of very basic assurances from FGW over jobs,
services and safety as a result of the introduction of the new Hitachi fleet
and they have shown no intention of addressing those issues in the talks today.
“RMT is angry and disappointed
that the company have ignored the massive vote for action by their staff and
have instead opted to plough ahead with a series of actions that will decimate
jobs, services and safety.
“As a result of FGW collapsing
the talks in this cavalier fashion the action goes ahead as planned.
“It is frankly ludicrous that
East Coast, who are introducing the same trains, have given us the assurances
we are seeking but FGW have ignored us and are crashing on with the ripping out
of buffet cars and the threat to safety-critical station and train staff purely
to maximise the profits from new trains bought for them by the British taxpayer.
“RMT will be out at stations this
week with a public campaign to expose this shabby and profiteering treatment of
both passengers and staff alike by a company that already has one of the worst
reputations in the industry for milking the rotten rail privatisation racket
for every penny they can.
“The ‘Worst Great Western’ tag
has been wrapped around this outfit by their own passengers and RMT will be
building alliances with the services users to exert further pressure to end
this outrageous profiteering and corner-cutting that will come at a heavy price
in terms of jobs and safety.”
Meanwhile another rail dispute is building on Northern Rail.
An RMT ballot for both strike action and action short of a strike of station
and guard’s grades members over the threat to jobs and safety and the creation
of a two-tier workforce:
Eighty per cent voted for strike action and 90 per cent for
action short of a strike.
The issues behind the dispute relate to the removal of
permanent posts and the creation of zero-hour jobs via the contract with
security company STM, cuts to booking offices and attacks on the role and responsibility
of train guards.
By New Worker correspondent
