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Strike set to plague London tube
04/09/2007 07:27 - (SA)
London - London commuters were in for more chaos and disruption on Tuesday as unions were set to embark upon a second day of strikes on the capital's underground system.
Having walked out at 18:00 (17:00 GMT) on Monday, about 2 300 workers from the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union were to participate in the 72-hour industrial action over fears over job losses and pension cuts after the collapse of a tube maintenance firm.
Metronet, a privately owned group that maintains most of the London Underground train network, went into administration in July after running out of funds.
The RMT's members maintain tracks, trains and signals on most of the network, including some of the busiest lines like the Victoria, Central and District lines.
Only three of London's tube lines - Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly line services, which are maintained by Tube Lines - continued working.
Though two unions representing some 900 workers called off their strike threat after accepting assurances from Transport for London (TfL), which runs the city's public transport systems, over jobs, transfer and pensions, the RMT warned of another three-day strike next week if the dispute was not resolved.
"We have been seeking simple, unqualified guarantees from Metronet and its administrator that there will be no job losses, forced transfers or pension cuts and we have not had them," said RMT boss Bob Crow.
Striking members of the union, meanwhile, will on Tuesday lobby the Department for Transport in central London, as part of a campaign to bring Tube maintenance work in-house.
Analysts estimate the strike could cost London's businesses some £50m (R727m) a day.
TfL officials said, however, that union claims that they had not received assurances regarding their concerns were incorrect.
Tim O'Toole, London Underground's managing director, said: "RMT leaders have claimed that they have not received the assurances they requested from Metronet and the administrator regarding jobs, transfers and pensions. This is patently not true."
He accused the RMT of ignoring those assurances, and organising a strike which "had no purpose".
- AFP
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