Tube strike to cause travel chaos in London
Passengers urged to check before they travel in the capital on Thursday and Friday morning.
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A strike by transport workers in London will cause travel chaos on Thursday, with limited services on the Tube.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) and Unite are involved in a long running dispute over jobs and pensions which has led to previous industrial action.
Passengers were urged to check before travelling on Thursday and Friday morning, when services are also expected to be affected by the strike.
Transport for London (TfL) said London Overground and DLR services may be subject to last minute changes on Thursday, while London Trams will be running a reduced timetable.
Picket lines will be mounted outside Tube stations across the capital, while buses are expected to be much busier than normal.
The RMT said it has offered to suspend the strike during talks, but accused TfL of rejecting its proposals.
TfL have missed a golden opportunity to make progress in these negotiations and avoid strike action
Glynn Barton, TfL’s chief operating officer, said no proposals to change pensions or conditions had been made.
TfL’s recent funding agreement with the Government required it to develop options around pensions, but the organisation said if changes are to be made, there would be consultations and further work before any decisions are made.
The RMT said it had asked TfL to pause any job cuts and pension changes to give both sides time to negotiate a deal.
General secretary Mick Lynch said: “TfL have missed a golden opportunity to make progress in these negotiations and avoid strike action.
“Our members are resolute in their determination to see a just settlement to this dispute, and they will continue their industrial campaign for as long as it takes.”
More than 1,000 Unite members will be on strike.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “TfL is needlessly attacking our members’ pay and pensions, which Unite simply can’t accept. The workers have the full support of their union in fighting these attacks. TfL must stop behaving like a race-to-the-bottom employer and put forward an offer that is acceptable to our members.”
The Unite members are employed at London Underground, Compliance, Policing, Operations & Security, Victoria Coach Station, Network Management Control Centre, Croydon Trams engineering, Dial-A-Ride and Surface Operations.
Unite regional officer Simon McCartney said: “There is absolutely no need for TfL to press ahead with these attacks. The pension scheme is financially viable and in credit and the savings TfL were forced to make have already been found elsewhere. It is high time London’s Labour mayor Sadiq Khan intervened.”