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Unions to reveal Tube strike vote Tube staff support strike action
(about 22 hours later)
A Tube strike may be called when two unions reveal the results of a ballot for industrial action. Tube staff have voted in favour of strike action proposed by three transport unions over a jobs and conditions row.
The RMT Union and Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) held ballots over job losses faced by staff employed by the maintenance firm Metronet. The RMT Union and Transport Salaried Staffs' Association and Unite held ballots over job losses faced by staff employed by maintenance firm Metronet.
Metronet, which is responsible for the upkeep of nine Tube lines, went into administration in July. It had a projected overspend of £2bn by 2010. Metronet, which is responsible for the upkeep of nine Tube lines, went into administration in July.
Transport for London (TfL) has urged workers from both unions not to strike. Its administrators have until Wednesday for assuring workers' jobs, RMT said.
We urge the RMT and TSSA to withdraw their threat of strike action and work with Metronet's administrators TfL Spokesman If the talks fail the unions will declare a date for strike action on Thursday.
A TfL spokesman said: "This vote for strike action is completely unnecessary. 'PPP fiasco'
"It is particularly unreasonable at a time when administrators are working to ensure the stability of Metronet following the company's collapse. Metronet was one of two private infrastructure companies set up under London Underground's public-private partnership (PPP) initiative.
"We urge the RMT and TSSA to withdraw their threat of strike action and work with Metronet's administrators." The unions claim that Metronet has not given job and conditions guarantees since going into administration after projecting an overspend of £2bn by 2010.
But RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "We warned from the start that we would not allow our members' jobs and conditions to be decimated by Metronet's death throes." Workers may also face forced transfers and pension cutbacks, the unions added.
The unions claim that Metronet has not given job and conditions guarantees since going into administration. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "Our members have said with a single, united voice that they are not prepared to be made to pay for the failure of the PPP with their jobs, conditions or pensions.
The union leaders said they were confident they would receive substantial support for the strike. General secretary for Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA), Gerry Doherty, said: "Metronet shareholders may be able to walk away from this PPP fiasco but it is our members who are being asked to pick up the bill with lost jobs, transfers and pension cutbacks."
Workers voted by 1,369 to 70 in favour of industrial action.
'Completely unnecessary'
A Transport for London (TfL) spokeswoman said the vote for strike action was "completely unnecessary".
"It is particularly unreasonable at a time when administrators are working to ensure the stability of Metronet following the company's collapse," she added.
"There are agreed channels for discussion on these issues and the trade unions should use them, rather than call for strike action."
TfL has asked the unions to work with Metronet's administrators "to enable them to get the company on a stable footing and out of administration as soon as possible".