'This seems to be the way this country is run at the moment. No one follows the rules, but we’re going to fight back'
The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has said he is considering launching a legal challenge to stop the consultation into closing the majority of ticket offices in England.
Closures will see over 1,000 offices across the country affected with more than 2,300 jobs already put at risk. Mick Lynch, leader of the RMT union blasted the scheme as a, ‘thinly veiled plan to gut our railways of station staff’.
Speaking to Granada News, Burnham perfectly summed up the concerns around ticket office closures and the consultation process.
“I’m hugely concerned that the voices of, particularly disabled people, are being excluded because the consultation isn’t in easily accessible formats for people who are blind, visually impaired or have other disabilities,” said Burnham.
“So it just isn’t right, I think it breaches the obligation we have to ensure that every voice should be heard on an issue as important as this.
“The rail companies say ‘we sell 88% of our tickets online’, are they saying that the 12% of people who use ticket offices don’t matter?
“Also, are they not aware that their staff who work in ticket offices do far more than sell tickets? They provide a whole range of support and reassurance to people. And it’s the rail industry badly misfiring again.
“They really must halt this consultation and put a proper consultation in place with the reasons why they’re doing this.
“In the meantime, I am considering legal action because this just can’t be rammed through.”
He added: “This seems to me to be the way this country is run at the moment. No one follows the rules or standards. But we’re going to fight back in Greater Manchester against that.”
Research by the TSSA rail union released today showed that 360 million tickets are sold via ticket offices a year.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People said the closure would have a ‘hugely detrimental impact on blind and partially sighted people’s ability to buy tickets, arrange assistance and, critically, travel independently’.
A series of ‘days of action‘ have been launched by the RMT from tomorrow, 13 July until 18 July against the planned closures. Andy Burnham and Mick Lynch will be speaking at the public meeting next Tuesday, 18 July, in the RMT action day in Manchester.
Hannah Davenport is trade union reporter at Left Foot Forward
Left Foot Forward’s trade union reporting is supported by the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust
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