Tube unions take industrial action

London Underground (LU) members of the RMT and TSSA transport unions are taking further strike action in November as part of their ongoing campaign of industrial action in the dispute over job and safety cuts on the tube.

The unions say that plans to axe more than 800 station-based staff and other cuts will compromise safety. As workers prepared for the latest series of 24-hour strikes, RMT also released pictures of worn-away brake blocks on trains it says would be forced into service by finance-driven maintenance changes.

“We have warned repeatedly that LU/Transport for London’s cuts plans are playing fast and loose with safety and will turn the tube into a death trap,” said RMT general secretary Bob Crow. “We remain available for talks but the current cuts to jobs and safety must be halted before we have a tragedy on our hands.”