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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 after plans to transfer jobs from one company to another were scaled down. | |
The Rail Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) had threatened industrial action if around 250 jobs were transferred. | |
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". | |
Metronet said that it would now only be moving 200 staff to its parent company. | |
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' |
RMT general secretary Bob Crow described the settlement as "the sensible outcome we sought for from the start". | |
He added: "Our Metronet members deserve congratulating for standing solidly together to defend their organisation, jobs and conditions and to prevent further dangerous fragmentation." | |
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. | |
Metronet said the deal meant an additional 49 maintenance managers would now remain in Metronet employment. | |
"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." |