Workers to strike on January 26, February 15 and February 17
The RMT union has just backed three 24-hour Tube strikes over pay and Night Tube disputes.
Workers from RMT, Britain’s biggest rail union, will strike for 24 hours from 18.30 on January 26, February 15 and February 17.
Tube drivier union Aslef is also threatening to strike 21.14 on Wednesday January 27 followed by two further 24 hour stoppages from the same time on February 15 and February 17.
Here’s RMT general secretary Mick Cash’s full statement:
“RMT members are furious at the bodged introduction of the mayor’s Night Tube plans and the fact that they have been tied in with a pay deal that has left our members dangling on a string and out of pocket since April last year. RMT supports the principle of a properly worked out Night Tube service introduced through agreement with the unions but the abject failure to work through the detail has led to a comprehensive breakdown in the negotiations and has forced us to name a programme of further industrial action. This whole situation could have been avoided if London Underground, under direction from the Mayor, had dealt with the Night Tube professionally from the off instead of resorting to ultimatums and imposition.
“RMT has fought for more jobs on the Underground to cope with the added pressures of Night Tube but those jobs must be within the framework of the existing tube operations and must offer career opportunities to the Underground’s existing staff, including existing drivers who may choose to take up the offer of reducing their hours.
“On the station staffing crisis it is absolutely crazy to be bulldozing through and imposing new rosters linked to the axing of over 800 safety-critical jobs from early next month when there is a heightened security status and when services are dangerously overcrowded across the network. The current plans also rip up previous agreements to protect staff caught in the middle of this reorganisation. The station staff are the eyes and ears of the Underground and hacking back their numbers represents a lethal gamble with safety that RMT will continue to fight against.
“RMT remains available for talks in both disputes.”
Here are the dates and times of Tube strikes:
On pay and night tube ALL grades called out follows
• Fleet grades not to book on for any shifts between 18.30 hours 26th January 2016 and 18.29 hours 27th January 2016. All other grades not to book on between 21.00 hours 26th January 2016 and 20.59 hours 27th January 2016
• Fleet grades not to book on for any shifts between 18.30 hours 15th February 2016 and 18.29 hours 16th February 2016. All other grades not to book on between 21.00 hours 15th February 2016 and 20.59 hours 16th February 2016
• Fleet grades not to book on for any shifts between 18.30 hours 17th February 2016 and 18.29 hours 18th February 2016. All other grades not to book on between 21.00 hours 17th February 2016 and 20.59 hours 18th February 2016
Steve Griffiths, chief operating officer for London Underground, said:
“The unions’ position is absurd and detached from the real world. Apparently, above-inflation pay rises, the creation of 700 more Tube jobs and the total protection of the work-life balance of existing staff are grounds for strikes.
“The truth is that they expect our customers to pay for their excessive demands for even more money, fewer hours and a four day week. No employer could allow this and strike action will change nothing. There is no more money.
“Our four year pay offer is extremely fair and we have gone the extra mile to fully protect the work-life balance of all our staff. We will have hired around 700 additional staff, which gives total protection of work-life balance. This is precisely what the unions have asked for, making their call for strikes even more astonishing.
“The unions also attempt to justify their position on a lack of engagement with them. This too is nonsense. We have held numerous meetings with the unions since October 2014, including with the conciliation service ACAS.”
“London needs a Night Tube service and we have made all of the running to implement it fairly. The only thing standing in the way is union intransigence.”
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