A row has broken out after TfL top brass were pictured enjoying a lavish meal to celebrate closing all underground ticket offices.
In May’s TfL staff bulletin, nearly 50 people from the Fit for the Future Stations team are pictured enjoying a slap-up meal in the ‘luxurious setting of the RAF Club’.
The May Bulletin stated that the team ‘celebrated the successful completion of the main ticket office closure programme’ at the Piccadilly private members club.
It also states: “All 289 ticket offices were closed, within budget, in an immense team effort throughout 2015.
“The team enjoyed a three course meal in a private dining room at the RAF Club and a good time was had by all.”
The RMT Union has slammed the lavish celebration, labelling it a ‘disgusting and obscene spectacle’.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “It is frankly obscene that nearly 50 senior TfL managers treated themselves to a slap-up beano at the luxury RAF Club in the heart of the West End to celebrate the axing of 800 safety-critical jobs and the smashing up of London’s tube ticket offices.
“While TfL is talking about further cuts of more than £2 billion that would devastate safety and services is a massive kick in the teeth for staff across the combine to receive bulletins from the management gloating about their axe-swinging antics.
“RMT members are furious that while they are being stretched to breaking point the top brass are out on a jolly in a luxury, private members club in Mayfair.”
TfL said that the black tie dinner at the Mayfair private members club was paid for privately.
A TfL spokesman said: “No public money was spent on the dinner organised by some of our construction workers to mark the completion of their building work.
“The dinner was held in their own time and entirely at their own expense.”
He added that the ticket offices closures were being reviewed by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in order to ensure the best service for passengers.
MORE ABOUT