UK unions blast proposal to replace ticket agents with machines

A report prepared for the UK Department for Transport recommends replacing ticket agents with machines at 675 rail stations in England and Wales, according to the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association. “Not only are unmanned stations less secure, tickets bought from machines are usually more expensive,” said TSSA leader Gerry Doherty. Bob Crow, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, referred to the proposal as the “ticket office massacre” and said, “These cuts would de-staff stations and turn the rail network into a criminals’ paradise, and that’s why we are uniting workers and passengers in a massive campaign of resistance.” Transportation officials are reviewing the report, which looks at ways to achieve savings in the railway industry. Link to full story in BBC News.

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