Tube strike

The tube strike currently in London is a complete joke.

Although I'm working from home today, yesterday I had to go in as I was presenting the finance figures to the Senior Management Team. I left home over two hours before I normally do. I then discovered the tube was running from my local station, although I couldn't take the final leg by tube, it still only took me 10 minutes longer then normal and consequently I was in work before 8 a.m. I am so thankful that I work flexitime.

A tube strike where over half the network is running is not "paralysing" London and obviously means that nearly all the ASLEF drivers are working (make up 40%) of all drivers and a number of RMT members are not striking.

The RMT's demands are frankly outrageous:

a. 5% pay rise
b. A reduction in hours without loss of pay
c. No compulsory redundancies
d. And reinstatement of a driver who flouted safety rules (allegedly a close friend of Bob Crow).

We are in the middle of a recession, inflation is in negative figures, a 5% pay rise is frankly unrealistic.

As for reinstating a driver who flouted safety rules, considering they've gone on strike over safety rules in the past, it is the height of hypocrisy.

Elections and the new Cabinet

Disaster for Labour, lost all the councils they held. I can't see it being that much better in the Euro elections.

However, what I really have a problem with is the fact that the Business Secretary (who's been given a "super-Department") and the Transport Secretary are both unelected officials. Surely all Cabinet Ministers (except obviously The Leader of the House of Lords) should be MPs not Peers. More to the point another two peers are being created (Lord Sugar and Baroness Kinnock). Surely Brown didn't have a problem finding MPs who are faithful to him to fill two of those positions - Transport Secretary and Europe Minister.

After these disastrous results and the refusal of Brown to admit any fault on his own part he is a "lame-duck" Prime Minister and the sooner he goes to the polls the better. He must know that in a General Election whether or not his is the Leader of the Party the Tories are going to win (probably by a Landslide).