RMT is balloting 4,000 station staff members for strike action over Tube bosses' back-door attempts to cut hundreds of safety critical station staff under spurious cover of the recent 35-hour week deal. The ballot closes on Thursday (December 22).

But as cash fares are set to rise to a minimum £3 for a single stop to force uptake of the deeply unpopular OysterCard system, RMT points out that LUL wants to close eleven booking offices altogether and slash opening times of the rest by up to 70 per cent.

Frontline station staff, who are the first to respond in an emergency and whose actions saved lives on July 7, are set to be axed in droves.

"There have been widespread calls for more uniformed staff after the recent bomb attacks, but LUL has responded by cutting visible station staff in every singe Zone One station," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

"Green Park, Baker Street and London Bridge stations will see the basic grade of station assistant reduced by as much as 50 per cent. Waterloo will lose 60 per cent. Kings Cross, Liverpool Street and Edgware Road, the three sites attacked on July 7, will lose 75 per cent, 70 per cent and 30 per cent.

"Platform staff at terminus stations, who not only ensure safe detraining but who are also invaluable in spotting unattended items, are also to be massively reduced or removed altogether

"Most other operational grades in central London will also be affected, with supervisory and booking office positions hardest hit. If these cuts go ahead and you are unlucky enough to find yourself without a ticket you'll have little chance of getting one and could face a £6 for a return journey of two stops.

"We have made it clear that we will not accept any dilution of safety standards, either for our members or Tube users, and we hope that the traveling public will support our efforts to maintain safety standards and keep their booking offices open," Bob Crow said.