TUBE workers are walking out on the first of two 48-hour strikes tonight over plans to close all 278 of the capital’s Underground ticket offices with the loss of almost 1,000 jobs.
‘Tomorrow’s Tube strike is still on’, a spokesman for the TSSA union told News Line yesterday.
He confirmed that talks that began at 10am at the ACAS conciliation service were continuing yesterday afternoon ‘between representatives of London Underground management, Mayor Johnson and our representatives’.
Members of the RMT and TSSA unions will strike for 48 hours from 9pm tonight and again on 11 February after overwhelming votes for strike action to defend jobs and the safety of the travelling public.
They have been angered by accusations from Mayor Johnson that the unions are ‘holding London to ransom’.
RMT general secretary Bob Crow told News Line yesterday: ‘The Acas talks reconvened today and the RMT remains totally committed to making progress through those negotiations.
‘In the meantime I have had further correspondence with Boris Johnson and we are available for direct talks with the mayor with no preconditions.
‘We are awaiting his confirmation that he is up for getting round the table with no preconditions or caveats. If he lifts the threat to jobs we will suspend the action, simple as that.
‘At this point the action is on and our members remain solid and determined in their fight to stop the cuts bulldozer.’
On Friday Johnson had finally offered talks but on condition the strikes were called off.
Commenting on Transport for London plans to run a limited service, RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: ‘The RMT is once again appalled that Transport for London (TFL) are trying to fool the public into believing that volunteer “ambassadors” can run a safe service as an alternative to experienced and highly-trained tube staff.
‘That is dangerous and provocative nonsense with potentially lethal implications and the union will be alerting tube safety authorities of our serious concerns over this cavalier disregard for normal safety rules.’
TSSA said in a statement: ‘We are forced to take strike action.
‘We work to keep London moving day in, day out. We’re often already at work by 5am or helping passengers get home safely until the early hours.
‘We cope with an ever-increasing number of passengers – 100 million more in just the last five years – but now the Mayor plans to cut almost 1,000 of our jobs, creating a worse service for Londoners and putting safety at risk.’
TSSA warned: ‘With 953 fewer staff and no ticket offices, a growing number of stops will become “ghost stations”, feeling unsafe, especially to older or more vulnerable customers.
‘Supervisors, who ensure the safety of passengers, to be cut by 45% and will now over-see multiple stations. In the many emergencies where trains can’t move the supervisors may be stuck several stops away.’
