London Underground Worker Investigated for Distributing Pro-Palestine Stickers

Transport for London (TfL) has launched an investigation into an employee after video surfaced showing the staff member handing out pro-Palestine stickers at a London Underground station. The incident occurred shortly after a passerby reported hearing the employee shout "Free Palestine" near the ticket barriers.

The footage captures a TfL worker, wearing a blue uniform polo top, giving a sticker to a commuter. The sticker features the Palestinian Authority flag intertwined with the logo of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), and includes the words "Solidarity with the people of Palestine" around its edge. The RMT union officially supports the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

TfL's code of conduct and uniform policies prohibit employees from engaging in political activity while on duty, which includes distributing or wearing political materials. A TfL spokesperson confirmed awareness of the video and stated that the circumstances are under investigation, emphasizing that staff are bound by the code of conduct which forbids the distribution of political materials.

The advocacy group Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) described the event as "brazen political campaigning" and called on TfL to investigate any "exclusionary behavior." Councillor Susan Hall, leader of the Conservative group on the London Assembly, also urged TfL to investigate the incident, calling it "totally unacceptable" if the employee was on duty.

This incident follows previous controversies involving TfL staff and political expressions. In one instance, a London Underground driver was suspended after being filmed making remarks about the safety of Jewish passengers on his train. In another, a driver was suspended and later apologized after leading a "Free Palestine" chant on an underground train in October 2023.