Mayor under fire for cutting pay

London: Mayor Boris Johnson has docked the pay of hundreds of Tube staff who were unable to get to work during last Monday's snow storms.

The mayor was accused of "gross hypocrisy" because he cancelled all the buses last Monday and then went on the airwaves to urge Londoners to stay at home rather than risk physical injury trying to get into work.

Now he is stopping the pay of his own staff who took that advice.

Ticket office and platform staff, who earn up to £29,500 (Dh156,350) will have their pay cut by more than £100 (Dh530).

Staff not able to get in last Monday have been told by their managers they must claim the day as unpaid leave or take it out of their annual holidays.

Manual Cortes, assistant general secretary of the TSSA rail union, said: "This is gross hypocrisy on the Mayor's part. He cancels all the buses and most of the Tube and urges Londoners not to risk trying to get to work because of the snow storms.

"Our members could not get in because Boris had effectively halted all public transport because main lines trains weren't running either."

In addition to all of London's buses being withdrawn, all Tube lines, with the exception of the Victoria line, suffered major delays, cancellations and partial closures.

Cortes said staff were being penalised because of the mayor's own action.

A TSSA spokesman said: "We have had numerous calls from our members complaining they have been told by their managers that they will not be paid because they could not get into work last Monday."