Tube workers postpone go-slow

A go-slow by London Underground workers in a dispute over safety has been rescheduled to avoid next Monday's victory parade by the England rugby squad.

Thousands of members of the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union had been planning to hold 48 hours of industrial action next Monday and Tuesday. But the union's executive said yesterday that the action will now be held on 9 and 10 December to avoid clashing with a parade through London by England's World Cup-winning squad, which is expected to attract huge crowds.

The go-slow, during which workers will drive tube trains at 25mph instead of the normal 40-45mph, is expected to cause chaos to underground services. The union is campaigning for maintenance work to be taken from private firms and given back to LU, following two derailments in October.

The LU managing director Tim O'Toole repeated his belief that industrial action would not solve the issues facing the Tube and said the way forward was for all the unions to work with him to help run a safer and more efficient system.