| Tube strike talks going nowhere; RMT cannot renege says Mayor |
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LONDON: This New Year’s Eve we might see more instances of drink-driving if the Rail Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT) go ahead with their plans for a tube strike. Late yesterday, talks between the union and the London Underground ended without agreement.
Underground station staff planned a 24-hour strike on 31st December and again on January 8/9. Underground officials fear the strike could cripple the City and compromise safety: having no option of public transport, people would opt to drive to and from New Year parties.
The strike planned to begin at around noon on New Year’s Eve and end at 4.30 a.m. the next day, will make sure the free Underground service is unavailable to revellers. The night of 31st December is said to be one the busiest and most alcoholic nights of the year. It promises to be a night of complete chaos if the RMT strike as planned.
Underground officials said the RMT was once again resorting to arm-twisting means to get them to yield to their demands. Last December a similar conflict was resolved with an agreement for a 35-hour week. RMT general secretary Bob Crow was quick to defend their stand. Underground bosses tried to “displace hundreds of safety-critical staff station staff under spurious cover” he said, referring to last year’s agreement.
It was now up to Underground officials to respond and Crow underscored the upper hand RMT had – it would be closed for Christmas from Friday 5 p.m. and would open only on January 1, so Underground bosses have no option but to respond quickly.
A spokesman for Underground said officials were prepared “to sit here and talk for as long as it takes”. He added that they would be ready to meet them next Thursday and would do their best “to help London party on New Year’s Eve”.
He also sought to assure that RMT’s accusation had no basis and that “there are no cuts across the Tube network”. Underground officials would agree on “a shorter working week as long as it came at no extra cost to the Tube fare payers” he said.
London Mayor Ken Livingstone supported Underground saying there is “no justification for the RMT now reneging” on its previous agreement and holding London to ransom on New Year’s Eve. The Mayor pointed out that RMT’s Crow had himself welcomed last year’s deal as “ground breaking”.
Posted
on : Sat, 24 Dec 2005 20:05 GMT | General News
By : Rob Davis
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