London Underground workers to walkout over pay | EUROtoday

London Underground prepare drivers are set to strike subsequent month in a dispute over pay, the Aslef union has introduced.

As nicely as Tube drivers, instructors, administration grade workers and people within the engineering part are to take motion. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has additionally introduced industrial motion by its members subsequent month.

Aslef mentioned prepare operators and administration grade workers would strike on 7 and 12 November, and people within the engineering part for twenty-four hours from 18:00 GMT on 1 November.

Transport for London (TfL) mentioned the motion by Aslef and the RMT was “disappointing” nevertheless it remained engaged with the unions.

Finn Brennan, Aslef’s full-time organiser on London Underground, mentioned: “We don’t want to go on strike – we don’t want to make travelling in and around the capital more difficult for passengers and we don’t want to lose a day’s pay – but we have been forced into this position because [London Underground] management won’t sit down properly and negotiate with us.”

The union mentioned its Tube prepare driver members “overwhelmingly” backed taking industrial motion, with 98.8% voting in favour on a turnout of 68%.

Aslef is in search of a pay settlement with London Underground, which has supplied a 3.8% pay rise and a variable lump sum.

Mr Brennan mentioned the provide would depart members on a decrease wage than drivers on different TfL companies, such because the Elizabeth line and Overground.

Different teams of workers will even not be working any time beyond regulation at numerous instances in November.

The RMT additionally introduced that its members, together with signalling and station workers, would stroll out on totally different days between 1 and eight November after rejecting a “wholly inadequate” pay provide.

The union mentioned some progress was made in negotiations, however maintained that the present proposal left numerous workers excluded from collective bargaining.

RMT normal secretary Mick Lynch mentioned: “London Underground’s pay offer falls short of what our members deserve. It threatens to remove collective bargaining for a growing portion of staff, pushing them into pay bands that are decided solely by management. This undermines our members’ rights and the core principles of fair negotiation.

“No commerce union can settle for any pay proposal the place administration resolve which of our members will get a pay rise and those that don’t.”

Strikes will start on 1 November by maintenance workers and continue with different union members including signalling and station staff from 6-8 November.

The RMT said about 10,000 of its members were involved in the dispute, adding that it remained ready to engage in talks – but that a “truthful and absolutely consolidated” pay offer must be put forward.

A TfL spokesperson mentioned: “We have held a number of constructive discussions with our commerce unions and, after contemplating their suggestions, have made a revised provide with a median uplift of 4.6%, which rewards our workers for his or her exhausting work and advantages the lowest-paid workers essentially the most.”

They said talks had been conducted in “good religion” and further meetings would take place next week.

“Our provide is truthful for our individuals and reasonably priced for London, and we urge our unions to proceed working with us to assist London and the broader economic system,” the spokesperson added.

Pay talks do are inclined to comply with this sample, BBC London’s transport correspondent Tom Edwards writes.

Commuters will hope that throughout the upcoming talks the dispute is resolved.

Otherwise on the times Alef prepare drivers go on the market shall be little if no service on the Tube.

On the times of the RMT strikes there might be a service however it will be restricted and closely disrupted.