Tube strikes planned

Updated 15.32 Thu Aug 23 2007
Keywords: industrial action, business, industry, unite, tssa, rmt, unions, london underground, underground, london, tube

Maintenance workers on the London Underground are planning to strike next month.

The RMT and Unite unions have announced 72-hour periods of industrial action beginning at 6pm on September 3 and at 6pm on September 10.

"They will not accept being made to pay for the failure of the PPP" - Bob Crow

And another union, TSSA, said its members will hold a 48-hour strike on September 4 and 5.

Those taking action work for the Tube infrastructure company Metronet which went into administration last month having been chosen as one of two private companies to operate the Tube public-private partnership (PPP) plan.

Staff from the three unions voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a ballot, the result of which was announced earlier this week.

TSSA general secretary Gerry Doherty said: "Our members are not renowned for their militancy and striking for 48 hours is a big step for them. However, they have very real concerns that they will be made to pay for the failure of the PPP in the hands of Metronet and they do not feel that their employer or the administrator are listening to them."

Metronet is only responsible for maintaining two-thirds of the Underground but the RMT said the strikes would affect the whole system.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "Our members voted by a huge margin to strike against the threat to their jobs, conditions and pensions following the collapse of Metronet, and they have made it clear that they wanted substantial and meaningful action.

"The bottom line is that they will not accept being made to pay for the failure of the PPP and the decision by Metronet's fat-cat shareholders to walk away from the contract, and that means no job losses, no forced transfers and no cuts in pension entitlements.

"Maintenance on the national railways has improved massively since it was brought back in-house, and that is the only sensible solution for the Tube as well."

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