The proposals to cut ticket office jobs is another of the savage Tory cuts.

The Respect Party unequivocally stands in support of the striking London Underground workers who are taking action against proposals to cut 960 jobs.

We wish to make clear that savage attacks on people’s livelihoods such as this one are completely unwarranted and the trade unions are well within their right to seek industrial action.

These proposals are nothing more than a way to make up for other Government spending cuts to the Underground network. But people’s jobs are not just something to be tossed onto the scrapheap. The trade unions are right to point out that having human ticketing staff manning offices is a vital public service to many users on the Underground, and something that we should all wish to continue.

We nevertheless evidently hope that a suitable compromise can be achieved, but Respect will always stand in defence of the right to strike for the protection of workers’ rights.