Tube staff vote on industrial action

Workers on London Underground (LU) today started voting on whether to take industrial action in four separate disputes, threatening pre-Christmas travel chaos for millions of passengers.

The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union announced it was balloting its members, including drivers and station staff, in different localised rows over pay, rosters, working arrangements and the dismissal of a worker.

The union is also planning to ballot all its LU members for industrial action in a long-running dispute over pay, which threatens huge disruption across the system.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "Despite the use of the courts and the anti-trade union laws to try and shackle the RMT, our members on London Underground and Transport for London continue to show their determination to fight for decent pay and conditions and against attacks on the union.

"In these four separate ballots on four localised trade disputes RMT is showing again that this trade union will not be found wanting when it comes to fighting for fairness and justice in the workplace."

Tube travellers suffered disruption in June when RMT members took strike action over pay.

A spokesman for LU said the pay deal remained its final offer, adding: "We have made a very fair and final above inflation pay offer of 1.5 per cent this year and RPI inflation plus 0.5 per cent next, in some of the toughest economic times seen in decades.

"We remain ready to continue talks to resolve these outstanding issues at any time and any place."