Have a look at this photograph. It shows a shop (in West Kensington) charging 50p extra for Oyster top-ups paid for by card. The surcharge applies to all non-cash transactions, not just those below a certain threshold.

TfL claims that Oyster saves customers money. For several years, TfL and LUL have pursued a policy of deliberately encouraging customers to use Oyster, buying their credit online or at shops such as this one. The previous Mayor's ticket office closure plan, defeated earlier this year by the unions, was justified in terms of the availability of alternative outlets for ticket sales.

RMT & TSSA are having a joint victory party to celebrate our win in stopping ticket office closures. The party will be on Thursday 28th August at Swintons, 61 Swinton Street, WC1X 9T from 19:00hrs with free drinks and buffet. Nearest station is Kings Cross. All members from both unions are welcome.

Further details contact: Brenda Sutton on 07828 290 025 or Brian Haughian on 07834 117 509

As we all know Oyster went into meltdown on Saturday, And to think management wanted to close the ticket offices. Can you imagine what would have happened if that went ahead? It would have been a complete nightmare for both staff and passengers alike.

This leaflet - from your RMT Regional Council - celebrates our victory in defeating London Underground's plans to close 40 ticket offices. Please download it, print it and circulate it round your workplace.

It's official - we have saved London Underground's ticket offices from the threat of closure.

Following Boris Johnson's unequivocal statement two weeks ago, RMT reps asked London Underground Ltd to confirm that the closure plans are now scrapped. The company's reply was "We haven't been notified officially, but if the Mayor says they are off the table, then they are off the table". LUL has promised us a letter to confirm this.

RMT press release, issued today

LONDON UNDERGROUND’S biggest union today welcomed news that the threat to close dozens of Tube ticket offices appears to have been lifted.

Although not yet confirmed, RMT welcomed reports that the mayor of London had indicated that 40 ticket offices earmarked for closure would now remain open.

“We have campaigned long and hard to end the threat to close or curtail the opening times of ticket offices, and this is clearly a welcome step,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

Dear Mayors Office,

I would be grateful to receive a copy of the London Mayors current Strategy /policy documents and or statements towards the keeping or closing of all TFL/LUL and National Rail ticket offices in the Greater London area.

At the Mayor's Question Time on 18 June, Boris Johnson replied to a question about planned closure of London Underground ticket offices by saying, "Consider the threat has been lifted, annihilated, vapourised, liquidated, exterminated, removed, obliterated, as of now."

Read a report here.

We have contacted London Underground asking them to confirm that in compliance with this statement, the company will now abandon any plan to cut or close ticket offices.

RMT Revenue rep Ifor Davies writes ...

On the face of it TfL/LUL produce figures showing ticket offices have declining sales. What the figures are showing will almost certainly be a temporary decline. In the run-up to the Olympics rail, tube and bus travel has been estimated to go through the roof, but that is not anywhere near the complete picture. There are also new transport schemes in the pipeline such as Cross Rail and East London Line extension which will push demand higher. This is nothing though compared to the demands the will be created by the next generation of smartcards.

Over 1,000 people signed our petition on 10 Downing Street's website against ticket office closures.

We now have a response from the Prime Minister's office, which you can read here. To save you getting too excited though, be warned that it basically says that it's nothing to do with them!