Tube strike: Talks to resume in bid to avert a second walk-out
Union officials will meet with London Underground managers to resolve a row over ticket office closures
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Talks will resume today in a bid to avert further strikes by London Underground (LU) workers.
Officials from the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) unions will meet with LU mangers under the chairmanship of the conciliation service Acas to try to resolve a row over ticket office closures.
Union members staged a 48-hour walkout last week, which resulted in travel chaos in the capital.
Another 48-hour strike is planned for Tuesday evening unless a deal can be agreed.
Last week’s strike saw millions of commuters forced to rely on a limited service, with widespread queues as commuters crammed onto packed trains and replacement buses.
Talks commenced on Friday, before the opposing parties adjourned over the weekend to consider their positions.
On Sunday, union leader Bob Crow apologised to commuters for the disruption, but confirmed that a second strike is still due to start at 21.00 GMT on 11 February.
Speaking to BBC London, he said: "The strike is on Tuesday night unless the company (TfL) move their position.”
The action is a response to the Government’s plans to revolutionise the London Underground's ticketing service, which will incorporate the shutting down of ticket offices and the loss of 950 jobs.
Transport for London has said the proposals will save £50million a year and that it has the backing of 82 per cent of Londoners.
But a survey of 1,000 tube users for the RMT suggested that almost two thirds of passengers believe strike action is justified.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments