Boris's bonus bonanza - Mike Tuffrey reveals soaring bonuses at TfL

12.00.00pm GMT Sun 15th Nov 2009

Bonuses for Transport for London staff have continued to soar since Boris Johnson became Chair of the Transport for London board according to figures obtained by Mike Tuffrey, the leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group.

In a written answer the Mayor admitted to Mike Tuffrey that in 2008/09 the total amount of bonuses paid to TfL staff was £17.2 million, an increase from £10.6 million in the previous year. Even after excluding the awards for Metronet staff the total in bonus payments has increased by more than 10%, from £10.68 million to £11.81 million in Boris Johnson's first year in charge of TfL.

Mike Tuffrey said:

"In just two years the bonus bill for senior TfL staff has soared by 50%. Now even ordinary staff are receiving a doubling in bonus payments.

"With TfL facing a black hole in finances a bonus bill of such magnitude is totally unjustified. Boris's bonus bonanza is a slap in the face to hard up Londoners who are now facing reduced bus services and a massive hike in fares."

Ends

Notes to editors:

1. Two and half weeks after the question should have been answered the Mayor has finally answered Mike Tuffrey's question on the level of TfL bonuses. The Mayor published yesterday the following answer:

Bonuses

Question No: 2937 / 2009

Mike Tuffrey

Please provide me with the number of employees awarded performance bonuses, and the value of these bonuses by the LDA and TfL, in the last 2 financial years, and the total paid out by each organisation.

Answer from the Mayor:

As part of TfL's delivery of savings of over £5 billion over the course of its Business Plan, the pay of senior staff has been frozen and performance payments for senior staff reduced.

Within this context, the figures for the last two years, which includes the transfer of Metronet staff to TfL in 2008/09 are:

Performance Year 2007/8

14,411 employees received an award for the performance year 2007/8 totalling £10,648,123 (paid 2008):

· 1,003 TfL Senior Managers' Performance Awards (including the Commissioner, Chief Officers and Directors) = £5,799,497

· 13,227 LU Customer Satisfaction Awards = £3,192,333

· 181 Former Senior Manager Metronet Awards = £1,656,293

Performance Year 2008/9

23,638 employees received an award for the performance year 2008/9 totalling £17,244,651 (paid 2009, with part payment to Metronet Employee Based Scheme Awards (EBS) in December 2008):

· 1,038 TfL Senior Managers' Performance Awards (including the Commissioner, Chief Officers and Directors) = £5,341,140 (a drop of £458,357 compared to 2007/8)

· 13,068 LU Customer Satisfaction Awards = £6,467,135 (the award increased in 2008/9 to £500 per person compared to £250 per person in 2007/8 because of Customer Satisfaction Survey improvements).

· 171 Transferred Senior Manager Metronet Awards = £1,019,127

· 9361 Transferred EBS Metronet Awards = £4,417,249 (payments for EBS Metronet employees for 2008/9 are included whereas 2007/8 do not include these payments as these were paid prior to Metronet becoming part of London Underground).

2. The bonus bill for Transport for London senior staff was £3.6 million in 2006/07 and increased by more than 50% in 2007/08. Details of the 2006/07 TfL bonus bill for senior staff can be seen in a previous Mayoral question:

http://www.london.gov.uk/mqt/public/question.do?id=19908

3. For further information about the salary bands of TfL staff see page 121 of the enclosed document:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/annual-report-and-statement-of-accounts-2008-09.pdf p.121

4. For details of Boris Johnson's views on bonus payments for bankers see:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/6371140/The-barefaced-greed-of-bankers-and-their-bonuses-beggars-belief.html