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Tube workers to strike over pay Tube workers to strike over pay
(about 1 hour later)
About 10,000 Tube workers have voted to strike on two separate disputes over pay deals and proposed job losses. Tube workers have voted to strike in two separate disputes over pay deals and proposed job losses.
The vote, by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, was rerun after London Underground (LU) legally challenged a previous ballot.The vote, by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, was rerun after London Underground (LU) legally challenged a previous ballot.
Workers will go on a 48-hour strike which will begin at 1859 BST on 9 June and end on 11 June. Workers will begin a 48-hour strike at 1859 BST on 9 June.
The strike is expected to bring havoc to the Tube network, used by more than three million passengers a day. Transport for London (TfL) said that instead of "meaningful talks" the RMT had submitted "a wildly unrealistic claim".
The strike is expected to bring most of the Tube network, used by more than three million passengers a day, to a standstill.
The RMT leadership has failed to engage in any meaningful talks on pay, instead submitting a wildly unrealistic claim Transport for London
The RMT said the ballot result was "overwhelmingly" in favour of strike action with 2,810 voting for and 488 against.The RMT said the ballot result was "overwhelmingly" in favour of strike action with 2,810 voting for and 488 against.
Earlier LU had said it believed the issues with the RMT could be resolved without a strike. The RMT accused LU of refusing abide by an agreement which ensured job security and ruled out compulsory redundancies which would put 3,000 jobs at risk.
A five-year pay offer by LU has also been described as "unacceptable" by the union.
The RMT's strike is also opposed to Transport for London's (TfL) £2.4bn cuts package which could lead to compulsory redundancies.
Union general secretary Bob Crow said: "This is a magnificent result which underlines the anger that has been provoked by management in their confrontational approach on pay and job security.
"If LUL and TfL want to avoid confrontation they should withdraw their plans to slash jobs and guarantee there will be no forced redundancies, start talking seriously about pay and call off the bully managers."
'Unrealistic in recession'
TfL said the RMT had demanded an "unrealistic" 5% percent pay rise and was against cutting back office jobs that had been duplicated as a result of maintenance firm Metronet being taken over by LU.
A TfL statement said: "The RMT leadership has failed to engage in any meaningful talks on pay, instead submitting a wildly unrealistic claim - demanding a five per cent pay rise for fewer hours in the middle of a recession.
"On jobs, the RMT leadership knows full well we are seeking to end the duplication of back office jobs and that no front line staff will be affected.
"Our offer guarantees real wage increases for the next five years. Very few Londoners have that level of certainty for the future.
"This review does not impact on front-line staff working on trains, stations or maintenance and there will be no impact on Tube services."
LU has offered staff a 1% pay increase in the first year of the five-year deal, with increases of 0.5% in the next four years.