RMT vote for Tube Strike

More than 90 per cent of the RMT voted to strike over the “continued threat to jobs and safe working conditions and in support of a decent pay increase this year”. This follows the end of PPP (public-private partnership) where TfL took control of Tube Lines last month.

RMT Leader Bob Crow pictured on the Tube last month

No date for the strike has been announced as yet. Tube Lines are hoping that talks can avert the strike. A TfL spokesperson said "We have tabled an acceptable pay offer and we remain committed to continuing our negotiations and avert strike action which would cause unnecessary disruption to the travelling public."

An RMT spokesman told City A.M. that Boris Johnson could have stripped Tube Lines of its contract without buying shares. Shareholders were paid £310m for their equity & workers fear this will lead to delays in upgrades & pay freezes. The RMT believe that shares hadn't been bought the upgrade work could have been carried out at a fraction of the cost.

Looks like we're in for a summer of strikes as BT workers unanimously backed a strike ballot over pay after rejecting a two per cent rise. The British Airways cabin crew dispute continues as Unite has increased strike pay for staff on the picket lines, as talks between the two are postponed.

Update - Two Tube strike dates in June and July have now been set.