Tube strike and travel chaos in June
Tube strike and travel chaos in June
Thursday 28th May 2009
A 48-hour strike by workers on the London Underground has been agreed upon for next month, with commuters set for travel chaos.The RMT union balloted members on strike action over two separate disputes on jobs, pay and working conditions.
It said that 2,810 workers from London Underground voted for the two-day strike action, with 488 against, while workers at Transport for London (TfL) voted 75-15 for the walkout.
The strike is due to start at 18:59 BST on Tuesday June 9th and carry on until 18:58 BST on Thursday June 11th, bringing virtually the entire tube network to a standstill.
TfL has accused the RMT, which says 300 jobs are at risk, unrealistically demanding protection for jobs that were no longer needed and pay rises during a recession.
Its chief operating officer Howard Collins said: "The RMT leadership has failed to engage in any meaningful talks on pay, instead submitting a wildly unrealistic claim - demanding a five per cent pay rise for fewer hours in the middle of a recession.
"On jobs, the RMT leadership knows full well we are seeking to end the duplication of back office jobs and that no front line staff will be affected.
"No responsible union should be asking hard-pressed farepayers and taxpayers to fund jobs that are no longer needed and vastly inflated pay demands."
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that the ballot had shown workers were 'angry'.
"We said from the start that our members, whether in [London Underground] or TfL, would not be made to pay for the failure and greed of bankers and privateers, and that any attempt to impose compulsory redundancies would be met with a ballot for industrial action," he said.
"If [London Underground] and TfL want to avoid confrontation they should start talking seriously about pay, withdraw their plans to slash jobs, guarantee there will be no forced redundancies and call off the bully managers."
Related News
Britain's railways 'may need to double capacity' - 28/05/09
Train operators have warned British railways may need to double their capacity over the next 30 years to deal with increased passenger demand
Train operators have warned British railways may need to double their capacity over the next 30 years to deal with increased passenger demand
Vauxhall workers kept waiting - 28/05/09
Thousands of Vauxhall workers are no closer to finding out who will become the carmaker's new owners after all-night talks broke down
Thousands of Vauxhall workers are no closer to finding out who will become the carmaker's new owners after all-night talks broke down
Santander is new name on high street - 27/05/09
Branches, products and services at Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley are all going to be renamed under the Santander brand
Branches, products and services at Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley are all going to be renamed under the Santander brand
Nationwide records sharp decline in profits - 27/05/09
Nationwide Building Society has reported a sharp decline in annual profits, blaming bad debts and low interest rates
Nationwide Building Society has reported a sharp decline in annual profits, blaming bad debts and low interest rates
News Article Search
Quick Apply
News Archive