TUBE STRIKES LOOM IN ELECTION WEEK

As the general election loomed two major industrial disputes were continuing in the transport sector, one long-running dispute had just ended and a new dispute had broken out in further education.

The threat to jobs and safety on the London Underground posed by the government's planned public private partnership was set to lead to more strikes on 4 and 6 June. The strikes, involving 7,000 members of transport union RMT, were announced after the breakdown of talks at arbitration service ACAS.

The other dispute in transport also involves RMT and is at South West Trains. Guards there were engaged in a series of one-day strikes during May resulting from a breakdown of industrial relations.

Meanwhile, the longest-running recent dispute - in protest at the private finance initiative at Dudley Group of Hospitals - has come to an end. Strikers marched back into work last month after the NHS trust signed the deal with Summit Healthcare after a long delay. Staff were due to be transferred from the NHS to the company from 1 June.

In further education, a pay dispute resulted in a one-day strike by members of lecturers' union NATFHE in 290 colleges on 22 May. The action was in support of a claim for a flat-rate £3,000 increase to narrow the gap with teachers' pay. NATFHE achieved a 65% vote for strike action.

The employers have offered 3%.