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Three-day Tube strike called off Three-day Tube strike called off
(about 2 hours later)
A three-day strike by thousands of Tube maintenance workers has been called off, according to the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union. A three-day strike by thousands of Tube maintenance workers has been called off after plans to transfer jobs from one company to another were scaled down.
The RMT had threatened to go ahead with industrial action on Sunday in a row over the transfer of 250 jobs. The Rail Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) had threatened industrial action if around 250 jobs were transferred.
Metronet, which maintains two-thirds of the network, will no longer send staff to work for parent company Bombardier, according to an RMT statement. But it called off Sunday's strike after Metronet, which maintains two-thirds of the Underground network, made what the RMT called "a dramatic about-turn".
The union described Metronet's move as "a dramatic about-turn". Metronet said that it would now only be moving 200 staff to its parent company.
Talks between the union and Metronet were said to have collapsed earlier on Friday. The dispute arose over moves to transfer posts and individuals from Metronet to Bombardier Transformation.
Talks between the RMT and Metronet were said to have collapsed earlier on Friday.
'Sensible outcome''Sensible outcome'
Posts and individuals Metronet had intended to transfer to Bombardier will now remain in-house, the RMT said. RMT general secretary Bob Crow described the settlement as "the sensible outcome we sought for from the start".
Escalator refurbishment will no longer be outsourced, it continued, while talks will be held aimed at bringing cleaning contracts and lift refurbishment back in-house. He added: "Our Metronet members deserve congratulating for standing solidly together to defend their organisation, jobs and conditions and to prevent further dangerous fragmentation."
"This is the sensible outcome we sought for from the start," said RMT general secretary Bob Crow. According to the union escalator refurbishment will no longer be outsourced, while talks would be held aimed at bringing cleaning contracts and lift refurbishment back in-house.
"Our Metronet members deserve congratulating for standing solidly together to defend their organisation, jobs and conditions and to prevent further dangerous fragmentation." Metronet said the deal meant an additional 49 maintenance managers would now remain in Metronet employment.
Metronet were unavailable for comment. "The RMT was prepared to stop London for the sake of 49 fleet maintenance staff transferring from one private company to another," said a spokesman.
"We will not allow the potential disruption to hundreds of thousands of passengers and for businesses to lose millions of pounds over the transfer of 49 staff."