The RMT says any attempt to revise the pensions or travel perks of Tube staff would be met by “the biggest wave of industrial action on London Underground in 30 years”.
The threat comes after Conservative members of the London Assembly questioned the level of pension benefits enjoyed by members of Transport for London’s scheme.
According to an FOI request made by Assembly Member Gareth Bacon, TfL has paid 31 per cent of salary each year since 2009 compared to the 18.4 per cent typically paid by local government bodies.
Unlike many other public sector final salary pension schemes, TfL’s is not being scaled back.
Conservative Assembly Members want the level of contributions reviewed. They have also repeated past calls, also made by Liberal Democrat AMs, to scrap free travel passes for partners of TfL staff.
Critics say the passes cost the taxpayer £18 million in lost fares, however the Mayor and TfL say there is no cost in providing the passes as no additional services need to be laid on to meet the transport demands of users.
Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Bacon said: “It cannot be right that employees of TfL should be getting such a generous pension settlement on top of a salary package that includes benefits such as free travel passes for people who do not work for the organisation.”
Responding to Mr Bacon’s comments, RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: “If members of the London Assembly think that they can play politics with our members working conditions and benefits on London Underground then they should think again.”
He added: “Any attack on pensions, passes or other hard-won conditions of service would be met with the biggest wave of industrial action on London Underground in 30 years. RMT will not tolerate any sniping away at our members workplace rights and agreements.”
Past strike action by the union has fuelled calls for reforms of strike laws, with the Mayor and Tory AMs calling on UK government ministers to pass laws requiring at least 50% of those eligible to vote needing to do so before a strike can take place.
