Mick Cash General Secretary RMT C/o J.White@rmt.org.uk
Our ref: MGLA050520-0890 Your ref: R9/2/JW Date: 27 May 2020
Dear Mick, Thank you for your letter of 5 May about travel facilities for ABM cleaners. I know that you have also been in contact directly with Transport for London (TfL) and my Deputy Mayor for Transport, Heidi Alexander, on this issue. I wanted to write to you personally given the importance of this issue. As you noted in your letter, I am very grateful to every person who is helping to enable essential journeys to take place, including everyone in the cleaning teams in every part of TfL’s operations. We have spoken several times about the challenges facing ABM cleaners, and you know I personally share your commitment to doing all I can to improve their working conditions. We have already achieved a lot on this issue and my focus on this has continued as we entered this crisis. I am pleased that TfL worked with ABM to agree that all ABM staff who need to self-isolate, based on the Public Health England advice, would receive a full shift rate of pay for the duration of their isolation period. You will be aware of the scale of the challenge facing TfL’s finances at this time. Whilst we have reached an agreement with the Government that will allow TfL to continue running services safely for the next four and a half months, the financial challenges are not over. I have been clear that this was not the deal I wanted but I had no choice but to accept it to keep our services running. TfL has been one of the only transport authorities of any major city in Western Europe that in recent years has run without a grant for day to day operations from central government. As such, it is primarily dependent upon income from passenger fares to fund its operations, which alongside the Congestion Charge and advertising income, makes up around eighty per cent of TfL’s operating budget. As TfL rightly adjusted its focus to provide essential transport provision, income streams have fallen away in recent weeks. Government is now seeking to exercise oversight of many of the financial decisions that TfL is making and the deal we have struck contains a number of Government-imposed conditions. In this context, I regret that I do not feel able to override TfL’s decision on this matter. I understand clearly the case you are making but it is simply not possible at this time to make further commitments that would impact negatively on TfL’s finances. City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 2AA ♦ mayor@london.gov.uk ♦ london.gov.uk ♦ 020 7983 4000
I know this is not the response you were hoping for and I am sorry that I am not able to act differently at this time. Yours sincerely,
Sadiq Khan Mayor of London
City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 2AA ♦ mayor@london.gov.uk ♦ london.gov.uk ♦ 020 7983 4000