This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2015/aug/06/tube-london-underground-strike-live-updates
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Tube strike: night service row shuts down London Underground – live updates | Tube strike: night service row shuts down London Underground – live updates |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| 8.16am BST08:16 | |
| Once again RMT General Secretary Mick Cash has said union support for the strike is “absolutely solid”. | |
| In a statement he said: | |
| “The action is absolutely solid on London Underground across all unions, all grades and all lines and depots. That sends out the clearest possible message to Boris Johnson and his tube bosses that they must now take the staff grievances seriously and get back into genuine and meaningful talks. | |
| “Our dispute is not with the travelling public it is with those who have botched the introduction of Night Tube and who are trying to plug staffing gaps by wrecking any chance of a decent work/life balance for our members. It really is as simple as that. | |
| “The anger and determination of a wholly united tube workforce can be seen on the joint picket lines across the network this morning. Those voices must be heard and understood now and talks convened so that the fundamental issues at the heart of this dispute can be resolved.” | |
| 8.13am BST08:13 | |
| The TUC is seeking to counter union bashing over the strike by highlighting the impact of night shifts and seeking to combat some of the “tosh people are talking about the strike”. | |
| Here’s the first point. | |
| What are they complaining about? Tube drivers get nearly £50,000. | |
| Where to start? People are getting tied up on this one in a whole heap of ways. There’s those saying drivers deserve the cash for a difficult and responsible job (they do), that other public service workers should get more (they should), that it shows more people should join unions (duh), that most of those complaining about that don’t reckon bankers are overpaid (funny that), or that it’s a function of capitalism (well yes). | |
| But that’s all missing the point by a country mile. | |
| Most people on strike today are not tube drivers. A Driver is a relatively senior position in London Underground. Station staff start at around half what tube drivers get. That’s for a job that currently includes anti-social hours working, and is now moving into full-on sociopathic hours working. Not many people outside the comment pages of the Daily Mail would begrudge a platform attendant that much. So shut up already about people on £50k. | |
| Compulsory all-night shifts are huge problem for families. Need a fairer approach http://t.co/LO5ndBLKfE #TubeStrike pic.twitter.com/nTAAeL2O6U | |
| 8.06am BST08:06 | |
| Readers of the blog Conservative Way Forward are backing driverless trains as a way of ending Tube strikes. More than 90% of readers backed the idea, but this hardly surprising given the question: “With the feckless Tube drivers on strike again today, the question of automating Underground has been raised. Should we allow these Luddites to continue to cause chaos or replace the lazy drivers with robots?” | |
| Updated at 8.07am BST | |
| 7.54am BST07:54 | 7.54am BST07:54 |
| A whopping queue for buses has formed outside Victoria station, according to journalist Charlotte Wright. | A whopping queue for buses has formed outside Victoria station, according to journalist Charlotte Wright. |
| The queue at #Victoria for the number 73 about 45 mins ago #tubestrike @LBC pic.twitter.com/2HVqCbaluG | The queue at #Victoria for the number 73 about 45 mins ago #tubestrike @LBC pic.twitter.com/2HVqCbaluG |
| 7.50am BST07:50 | 7.50am BST07:50 |
| The Tube strike has opened up divisions among the Tory candidates for mayor. | The Tube strike has opened up divisions among the Tory candidates for mayor. |
| Tory MEP Syed Kamall and Tory MP Zac Goldsmith have both said they would talk with the unions to seek an end the dispute. | Tory MEP Syed Kamall and Tory MP Zac Goldsmith have both said they would talk with the unions to seek an end the dispute. |
| But London Assembly member Andrew Boff suggested the solution was driverless trains. In a video he said: “I love the DLR. No drivers, no one to strike!” | But London Assembly member Andrew Boff suggested the solution was driverless trains. In a video he said: “I love the DLR. No drivers, no one to strike!” |
| 7.39am BST07:39 | 7.39am BST07:39 |
| Pictures of commuter hell are starting to arriving thick and fast. | Pictures of commuter hell are starting to arriving thick and fast. |
| 7.34am BST07:34 | 7.34am BST07:34 |
| LU accuses unions of being determined to strike | LU accuses unions of being determined to strike |
| London Underground’s chief operating officer Steve Griffiths insists that the company understands the unions concerns about work/life balance on the planned night Tube. He also accused unions of being determined to go ahead with the strike. “We need to seek resolution, but this cannot be at any cost,” he said. | London Underground’s chief operating officer Steve Griffiths insists that the company understands the unions concerns about work/life balance on the planned night Tube. He also accused unions of being determined to go ahead with the strike. “We need to seek resolution, but this cannot be at any cost,” he said. |
| Speaking to BBC London he said: “They [the unions] are clearly not understanding our commitment to a work/life balance. They rejected our offer outright on Monday saying they didn’t understand the commitment we were making. If they didn’t understand them we had two and half days to talk about them and get them solved. But clearly they were determined to have a strike this week.” | Speaking to BBC London he said: “They [the unions] are clearly not understanding our commitment to a work/life balance. They rejected our offer outright on Monday saying they didn’t understand the commitment we were making. If they didn’t understand them we had two and half days to talk about them and get them solved. But clearly they were determined to have a strike this week.” |
| He pointed out that the company has put on an extra 500 extra staff to run the new night shifts. “Nobody is being asked to work extra hours,” he said. | He pointed out that the company has put on an extra 500 extra staff to run the new night shifts. “Nobody is being asked to work extra hours,” he said. |
| Griffiths confirmed plans to cut 800 workers as part of LU’s plans to modernise stations, But he insisted this was a separate issue from the night shifts. | Griffiths confirmed plans to cut 800 workers as part of LU’s plans to modernise stations, But he insisted this was a separate issue from the night shifts. |
| Updated at 7.34am BST | Updated at 7.34am BST |
| 7.11am BST07:11 | 7.11am BST07:11 |
| Summary | Summary |
| Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more. More prosaically welcome to live updates on the latest strike on the London Underground. | Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more. More prosaically welcome to live updates on the latest strike on the London Underground. |
| Yet again hundreds of thousands of commuters are battling into work without tube services as the four unions involved fight out the dispute with London Underground and Mayor Boris Johnson over the airwaves and social media. | Yet again hundreds of thousands of commuters are battling into work without tube services as the four unions involved fight out the dispute with London Underground and Mayor Boris Johnson over the airwaves and social media. |
| The strike, over plans to introduce all-night services started last night, but we are likely to see the worst disruption this morning. It comes after last month saw the biggest strike on the network for years, and the unions have warned that more strikes could follow, with a mandate for continued industrial action until the dispute is resolved. | The strike, over plans to introduce all-night services started last night, but we are likely to see the worst disruption this morning. It comes after last month saw the biggest strike on the network for years, and the unions have warned that more strikes could follow, with a mandate for continued industrial action until the dispute is resolved. |
| Once more extra buses (including the vintage Routemaster variety) have been laid on, TFL has dusted off its walking maps, and Boris bikes hubs are being restocked more frequently than usual. | Once more extra buses (including the vintage Routemaster variety) have been laid on, TFL has dusted off its walking maps, and Boris bikes hubs are being restocked more frequently than usual. |
| Both sides in the dispute are not budging as PA reports: | Both sides in the dispute are not budging as PA reports: |
| The mayor made it clear no more money will be offered to resolve the row over pay and conditions, urging unions to put the latest “incredibly generous” offer to their members. Johnson also repeated his refusal to meet union leaders, and said he was “not fussed” about the new night service starting on time on 12 September. | The mayor made it clear no more money will be offered to resolve the row over pay and conditions, urging unions to put the latest “incredibly generous” offer to their members. Johnson also repeated his refusal to meet union leaders, and said he was “not fussed” about the new night service starting on time on 12 September. |
| The row escalated on Wednesday when the RMT union announced it will now ballot engineers working for Tube Lines for strikes over the same dispute, and Aslef accused London Underground (LU) of forcing through new staff rosters for the night tube without consultation. | The row escalated on Wednesday when the RMT union announced it will now ballot engineers working for Tube Lines for strikes over the same dispute, and Aslef accused London Underground (LU) of forcing through new staff rosters for the night tube without consultation. |
| The general secretary of the union Aslef, Mick Whelan, said: “Our members have rejected the latest offer from the company because they are forcing through new rosters without agreement and offer no firm commitments on work-life balance for train drivers. | The general secretary of the union Aslef, Mick Whelan, said: “Our members have rejected the latest offer from the company because they are forcing through new rosters without agreement and offer no firm commitments on work-life balance for train drivers. |
| “We support night tube. London needs it. We remain prepared to talk at any time to try to find common ground, but by forcing these new rosters on train drivers and acting outside of our agreed way of working, senior management are making it even harder to resolve this dispute. The Aslef executive committee meets next week and will discuss our response to these developments.” | “We support night tube. London needs it. We remain prepared to talk at any time to try to find common ground, but by forcing these new rosters on train drivers and acting outside of our agreed way of working, senior management are making it even harder to resolve this dispute. The Aslef executive committee meets next week and will discuss our response to these developments.” |
| The RMT leader, Mick Cash, said: “The offer tabled by London Underground is just a rehash of an earlier package and does nothing to tackle the fundamental issue of our members being called into work at the beck and call of management, to plug staffing gaps in the mayor’s botched night tube plans. | The RMT leader, Mick Cash, said: “The offer tabled by London Underground is just a rehash of an earlier package and does nothing to tackle the fundamental issue of our members being called into work at the beck and call of management, to plug staffing gaps in the mayor’s botched night tube plans. |
| Updated at 7.11am BST | Updated at 7.11am BST |