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Tube work-to-rule disrupting services, says union London Underground drivers' union decides not to join latest tube strikes
(about 3 hours later)
A union has said industrial action is already affecting some parts of the London underground ahead of further talks to try to break the deadlock over plans for a night service on the tube. Train drivers who are members of the Aslef union will not take part in strike dates set for later this month, union sources said, as it emerged that London transport bosses were likely to delay the introduction of 24-tube services.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said delays on the District line on Wednesday morning were caused by a work to rule. London Underground (LU) said there were minor delays because of a shortage of available trains. The Press Association said the union had decided not to take part in the two 24-hour strikes, called by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and Unite.
The RMT and three other unions are due to hold further talks with LU under the auspices of Acas, the conciliation service, on Wednesday. Members of the RMT, Unite and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association intend to walk out for 24 hours from the evenings of 25 and 27 August, threatening to disrupt services for days in the run-up to the August bank holiday weekend. The train drivers’ union Aslef has yet to announce if it will join the strikes. It is the first sign of division in the ranks of the unions. Sources at Aslef said further talks will be held in a bid to resolve the long-running row, PA reported.
Nick Brown, the LU managing director, said he hoped progress would be made in the latest talks, following fruitless discussions on Monday. Brown said the unions demanded more money before announcing the latest strike action, which follows two strikes earlier in the summer that shut down the tube completely. The news agency also said the 12 September start date for new all-night Tube service is expected to be delayed.
He rejected union claims of “rosters from hell” to run the planned night tube service and said concerns over work-life balance had been taken into account. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We have made the rosters available so frontline staff can see them and we want to discuss these with the trade unions. The discussions have been going on for many, many months. Earlier, Transport for London claimed that demands imposed by the unions would cost £1.4bn and hit Londoners with an extra 6.5% fare increase.
“We are adding 500 extra staff across the network, train operators, station staff, engineering staff, for the night tube – we are not going into it lightly, we have given many assurances and after the first dispute we reshaped the content of our offer … to take on board the work-life balance issues the unions raised. “New demands made by certain trade union leaderships over the modernisation of London Underground, including the introduction of the night tube would lead to significantly higher fares for LU customers or spell wholesale delay to vital improvements to London’s tube service,” TfL said in a statement, designed to win over public opinion as the dispute escalates.
TfL said a 6.5% rise in fares would mean an annual zone 1-2 travelcard immediately rising by an extra £83 and an annual zone 1-6 travel card costing an extra £152.
“Having previously argued that it was all about ‘work-life balance’, certain unions have now made a whole series of unaffordable demands for more pay, shorter working hours and the reversal of the modernisation of the tube,” said Steve Griffiths, LU’s chief operating officer.
TfL released the figures as London Underground (LU) and four unions were holding a new round of talks under the auspices of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) to break a deadlock that has already led to two tube strikes in past weeks with the prospect of further stoppages.
Mick Cash, the general secretary of RMT, immediately hit back at what he described as scare tactics.
“This is blatant scaremongering on figures cobbled together on the back of a fag packet before any agreement has been reached on issues of pay and rewards and are completely meaningless,” Cash said.
Commuters face widespread disruption after three unions said they will take further strike action the week after next. Members of the RMT, Unite and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association intend to walk out for 24 hours from the evenings of 25 and 27 August, threatening to disrupt services for days in the run-up to the August bank holiday weekend.
Nick Brown, the LU managing director, said he hoped progress would be made in the latest talks, following fruitless discussions on Monday. He rejected union claims of “rosters from hell” to run the planned night tube service and said concerns over work-life balance had been taken into account.
Brown told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We have made the rosters available so frontline staff can see them and we want to discuss these with the trade unions. The discussions have been going on for many, many months.
“We are adding 500 extra staff across the network, train operators, station staff, engineering staff for the night tube – we are not going into it lightly, we have given many assurances and after the first dispute we reshaped the content of our offer … to take on board the work-life balance issues the unions raised.
“But now they have pulled it back to actually asking about money and the lie to that statement is given by the fact they demanded more money on Monday night.”“But now they have pulled it back to actually asking about money and the lie to that statement is given by the fact they demanded more money on Monday night.”
Mick Cash, the RMT general secretary, said LU was trying to cover up the impact of action short of a strike. “RMT will be raising again today serious concerns that safety tolerances are being fudged and breached to try and keep services running, threatening passengers and staff alike,” he said. “The solution to this dispute is serious negotiations around the work-life balance issues that have led to the action, not a cavalier attitude to safety to try and cover up the impact.” Cash said LU was trying to cover up the impact of action short of a strike on today’s services, particularly on the District line.
“RMT will be raising again today serious concerns that safety tolerances are being fudged and breached to try to keep services running, threatening passengers and staff alike,” he said. “The solution to this dispute is serious negotiations around the work-life balance issues that have led to the action, not a cavalier attitude to safety to try and cover up the impact.”
The planned night tube service – 24-hour services on central London lines on weekends – is due to commence on 12 September, but the dispute threatens to push back the start date.The planned night tube service – 24-hour services on central London lines on weekends – is due to commence on 12 September, but the dispute threatens to push back the start date.