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Call for Tube strike resolution Talks aim to prevent Tube strike
(about 7 hours later)
London Underground (LU) is urging unions and management to work together to avert a 72-hour Tube strike. Talks are continuing between rail unions and management in a bid to avert a 72-hour Tube strike.
Up to 1,000 members of the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are due to walk out at noon on Wednesday in protest at a pay offer. Up to 1,000 members of the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are due to walk out at 1200 BST on Wednesday in protest at a pay offer.
It is the first of two planned strikes by Tube Lines staff who maintain the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines.It is the first of two planned strikes by Tube Lines staff who maintain the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines.
LU said: "We hope that Tube Lines and the RMT can resolve this issue without unnecessary strike action." London Underground (LU) said a strike may disrupt those three lines but other services should operate normally.
Should the strike go ahead LU said services on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines may be disrupted but a normal service should operate on all other lines. 'Competitive' pay
The row is over a pay offer the RMT claims would leave staff worse off than those working on other parts of the network.The row is over a pay offer the RMT claims would leave staff worse off than those working on other parts of the network.
As far as we're concerned, two people doing the same job should get the same rate of pay Bob Crow, RMT But Tube Lines said its pay and conditions were "very competitive" and that the RMT action was politically motivated.
But Tube Lines said its pay and conditions were "very competitive" and it was disappointed with the RMT's stance. Tube Lines chief executive Terry Morgan said the RMT wanted private firm Tube Lines to be taken over by TfL in the same way that failed maintenance firm Metronet was earlier this year.
Maintenance workers, who voted by more than three-to-one in favour of strike action, are due to walk out for another 72 hours on 3 September. "That view should be (expressed) through debate and argument, not through using his members and my employees to actually try to make this change happen by forcing this business to fail - we won't allow that to happen," Mr Morgan said.
The RMT's Bob Crow said: "As far as we're concerned, two people doing the same job should get the same rate of pay. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "When it comes to pay and conditions, what we want is the same pay that is paid to the Metronet workers who work alongside us."
"They work for different companies but they work for a company that operates on London Underground. We want our union to keep on campaigning until Tube Lines is back in the public sector RMT general secretary Bob Crow
"We want to reach a resolvent (sic) to it and we hope that common sense prevails and there's agreement that's satisfactory to the company and our membership." Last week union members voted by more than three-to-one in favour of strike action.
Terry Morgan from Tube Lines said the company would do everything possible to maintain as full a service as possible, should the strike go ahead. Staff threatening to strike include track workers, train maintainers and signallers who earn between £30,700 and £50,300.
"Not all my employees are members of the RMT and we have some people who are qualified to carry out some of the work needed to carry out a safe and reliable service. Tube Lines offered them a one year pay deal at 4.8% or a two-year agreement worth 4.95% in the first year one and Retail Price Index inflation plus 0.75% in year two.
"But until we know the circumstances that exist at 12 noon we cannot be absolutely certain about what will happen." The union said it was inferior to the deal accepted by workers employed by Metronet, who this year were given a 5.1% pay rise in the third year of a three-year agreement.
Possible disruption
Talks between the union and Tube Lines continued on Tuesday afternoon.
LU said services on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines may be disrupted but a normal service should operate on all other lines.
An LU spokeswoman said: "The other lines are maintained by Metronet, now under TfL control, so we expect services to operate on those lines tomorrow."
Union members also plan to walk out for another 72 hours on 3 September.