The shocking figures below show Transport for London (TfL) and London Underground Ltd (LUL)'s total spend fighting employee Employment Tribunal claims from August 2004 to the end of 2008 (not including cost of staff and management time and TfL/LUL operational resources).

These illustrate two things:

• Firstly, the extent of employee grievances against their employers, vindicating RMT's allegations of systematic mistreatment of staff, on of the three issues in our current dispute with LUL.
• Secondly, the amount of public money being spent to prop up the companies' oppressive management regime, at a time when they say that they 'can not afford' a decent pay rise, are planning job cuts, and are to cut the maintenance budget.

August 2004 to March 2006: £2,604,180.36

April 2006 to March 2007: £1,795,156.96

April 2007 to March 2008: £1,704,801.72 (may not include a six-figure settlement reached prior to County Court hearing).

April 2008 to 31 Dec 2008: In excess of: £830,094 (final figure: April 2008 to March 2009 awaited).

Information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) reference number Ref: TFL089987; Applicant: Chris Carroll. Please note that Eversheds Solicitors did not act for TfL/LUL before August 2004 so there is no data provided under the FOI request for the financial year 2003/04.