TSSA says lack of air conditioning ‘utterly ridiculous’ at TfL

TSSA, the largest union across Transport for London (TfL) has described as ‘utterly ridiculous’ a lack of air conditioning in a key TfL building as staff face heatwave temperatures across the capital.  

Workers at TfL’s Pier Walk office building have been advised by senior managers to work from home because the air conditioning is not sufficient.   

Staff, who manage control systems for the Underground and supply the IT needs of the business, had been told the measures were necessary because only one out of three chiller units is currently working – they had broken down due to a lack of maintenance dating back to the lockdown period.  

This follows the TfL-wide announcement in recent days that staff are expected to attend the office in person at least three times a week.  

Commenting, TSSA Organiser Kerry Abel, said: “We are in the utterly ridiculous situation where TfL is directing staff to come to work in person three times a week, while for others the basic office infrastructure is not even in place and they can't do so.  

"Sadly the situation faced at Pier Walk is indicative of TfL’s cost cutting and overall managed decline which is deeply troubling. It can’t be asking too much that in order to keep the TfL business running basic office standards are met.  

“This is about making sure London is moving for millions of people. If TfL can afford to pay the new Transport Commissioner, Andy Lord, an extra £40 thousand pounds a year simply for getting the job permanently, they can sort out the air con for staff.   

“We are not prepared to sit by while there’s a return to the situation of last summer when there was no air con at all for weeks on end in the Pier Walk building.”  

*TSSA represents hundreds of Tech and Data Department staff at Pier Walk.  

*Staff, who number over 1000 people, were advised by Directors of their department (Tech and Data) not to come into the building.