TUC Join Campaign To Save Ticket Offices

TUC Join Campaign To Save Ticket Offices 

TSSA union has welcomed an emergency motion passed at the TUC that condemns the Westminster government’s plans to close most railway ticket offices. 

The motion, which was seconded by TSSA and supported by other rail unions, called for urgent talks with the government to stop plans which would be disastrous for rail workers and passengers. 

The motion congratulated unions such as TSSA for leading the campaign and highlighting that cuts to ticket office and station staff will make our railways less accessible, safe and affordable. 

The emergency motion follows news that almost 700,000 people responded to a public consultation on ticket office closures and more than 100,000 signed a petition hosted on the House of Commons website calling for a full parliamentary debate on the issue. 

Following the record-breaking consultation figures, passenger watchdogs have now extended the period to consider the public responses to 31 October. 

Following the passing of the motion TSSA, alongside the TUC General Council, will now: 

· Seek an urgent meeting before 31 October with the passenger watchdogs to make the case to keep all rail ticket offices open. 

· Lobby parliament to ensure the parliamentary debates take place before 31 October. 

· Coordinate with affiliates to explore options for providing support to legal challenges to the closures. 

· Seek an urgent meeting with government demanding withdrawal of the closures and other threats to rail workers jobs and conditions which have caused the disputes with the rail unions. 

TSSA Interim General Secretary Peter Pendle commented, “The passing of today’s emergency motion shows that the entire trade union movement is with us in our fight to save ticket offices. 

“Our campaign has the support of unions across our movement, as well as rail users, disabled people’s campaigning organisations and groups representing pensioners. Most importantly, it’s clear we have the public on our side. 

“We know that Rishi Sunak is so out of touch that he’d take a helicopter to travel from London to Southampton rather than catch a train, but even he must realise that the writing is on the wall for his disastrous plans. 

“Tory MPs in marginal constituencies must be getting scared at the strength of public feeling. In some constituencies the number of voters who signed the petition calling for ticket offices to remain open is larger than the MP’s majority. 

“We will now l be lobbying parliament, seeking a meeting with the government, and taking our campaign directly into the constituencies of Tory MPs. We have something really scary for Tory MPs this Halloween – the voting public! Let’s see if they still ignore us if they risk losing their seats. 

“The union movement will stand up and fight collectively to save our cherished public services. We will not accept the Conservative government creating a hostile environment for disabled and vulnerable passengers travelling by rail. The unions are now united and will continue working together until we save our ticket offices.” 

ENDS 

Notes -  

TSSA is an independent trade union for the transport and travel industries. We have thousands of members right across the UK and Ireland, working for the railways, including in ticket offices.  

Full text of motion:

Urgent next steps following unprecedented public response to railway ticket office closures consultation

Congress notes the public consultation on proposals to close nearly every railway ticket office closed on 1st September and a statement issued by Labour Metro Mayors on 1st September stated their legal challenge against closures remains ongoing. On 4th September passenger watchdogs announced more than 680,000 responses had been received and as a result the passenger watchdogs decided to extend the period to consider the public responses to 31October. This was the largest ever response to a public consultation. Congress also notes on 7th September a public petition calling for a full parliamentary debate on the issue reached the required threshold.

Congress congratulates the rail unions, disabled people’s campaigning organisations, the TUC, The Mirror newspaper, politicians, and all those who have assisted in mobilising this mass response, highlighting that cuts to ticket office and station staff will make our railways less accessible, safe and affordable.

In light of the new and urgent matters highlighted in the first paragraph of this motion Congress calls on the General Council to:

· Seek an urgent meeting before 31 October with the passenger watchdogs to make the case to keep all rail ticket offices open.

· Lobby parliament to ensure the parliamentary debates take place before 31st October.

· Coordinate with affiliates to explore options for providing support to legal challenges to the closures.

· Seek an urgent meeting with government demanding withdrawal of the closures and other threats to rail workers jobs and conditions which have caused the disputes with the rail unions.