Tube staff to stage strikes in row over pay and all-night service

Updated

London Underground is facing a series of crippling strikes strikes after the biggest rail union announced its members are to stage three 24-hour walkouts and a week of industrial action in separate disputes over pay and plans for a night Tube.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union said workers will strike for 24 hours from 18.30 on January 26, February 15 and February 17 in the long running row over pay and the proposed all-night Tube service.

The union's station staff members will take a week of industrial action from February 7 in a separate dispute over jobs and rosters.

Leaders of the drivers' union Aslef are expected to confirm that its members will stage 24-hour strikes from 21.14 on Wednesday January 27 followed by two further 24 hour stoppages from the same time on February 15 and February 17 in the night Tube dispute.

LU has offered a four-year pay deal and said it will hire part-time drivers to staff an all-night service at weekends.

But unions have been seeking assurances for months about terms and conditions for their members.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "RMT members are furious at the bodged introduction of the Mayor's night Tube plans and the fact that they have been tied in with a pay deal that has left our members dangling on a string and out of pocket since April last year.

"RMT supports the principle of a properly worked out night Tube service introduced through agreement with the unions but the abject failure to work through the detail has led to a comprehensive breakdown in the negotiations and has forced us to name a programme of further industrial action.

"This whole situation could have been avoided if London Underground, under direction from the Mayor, had dealt with the night Tube professionally from the off instead of resorting to ultimatums and imposition.

"RMT has fought for more jobs on the Underground to cope with the added pressures of night Tube but those jobs must be within the framework of the existing Tube operations and must offer career opportunities to the Underground's existing staff, including existing drivers who may choose to take up the offer of reducing their hours."

Mr Cash added it was "crazy" to be imposing new rosters linked to the axing of over 800 jobs through the closure of ticket offices.

"The station staff are the eyes and ears of the Underground and hacking back their numbers represents a lethal gamble with safety that RMT will continue to fight against."

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