THE RMT ann-ounced yesterday that it is to ballot all of its London Transport members for strike action from Monday as TfL (Transport for London) announced the first phase of mass job cuts.
The RMT confirmed that it will begin a ballot of over 10,000 members across all grades.
The railway workers union said that the decision was made ‘after TfL refused to give assurances on jobs, pensions and working conditions in the midst of an on-going financial crisis driven by central government.’
It continued: ‘TfL have upped the ante today by announcing plans to axe 600 staff posts in what the union says is the opening shot in a programme of jobs carnage that will target safety critical station grades.’
The union says that it will be campaigning for a massive yes vote in the ballot and has made it clear that it will take whatever action is necessary to prevent staff paying the price for a financial crisis that is not of their making.
The ballot will close on the 10th January.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘A financial crisis at TfL has been deliberately engineered by the government to drive a cuts agenda which would savage jobs, services, safety and threaten the working conditions and pensions of our members.
‘Today we have seen the opening salvo in what will become an all-out assault on safety critical staff posts with 600 jobs on the block, mainly amongst our station members.
‘The ballot opens next Monday and we will be campaigning for a massive yes vote.’
Lynch went on to indicate that the RMT will be calling on the rest of the trade union movement to support and join the strike action.
He said: ‘The politicians need to wake up to the fact that transport staff will not pay the price for this cynically engineered crisis and we will coordinate a campaign of resistance with colleagues from other unions impacted by this threat.’