Night Tube launch suspended amid threat of further strikes on London Underground

Walkouts due to take place this week were suspended

Unions suspended strikes in late August (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

The introduction of an all-night service on the London Underground has been suspended amid the threat of further strike action by workers.

London Underground said plans to launch the weekend Night Tube service on 12 September had been "deferred".

It had previously been reported that officials were considering delaying the launch after it was met with staunch opposition by members of staff.

Three rail unions staged walkouts in July and August, and planned to strike again in the coming weeks.

LU officials had previously said the service would not be launched "at any cost", but Transport for London had confirmed as recently as this week that it was still committed to the 12 September date.

Speaking to PA, LU said it wanted to allow more time for talks with unions to reach a deal on pay and conditions for the new service.

Boris Johnson, the London Mayor, has said he "wasn't fussed" about the precise date of It still plans to launch the service "in the autumn".

In a statement, LU managing director Nick Brown said: "Further to the progress made in recent days with the trade unions and the suspension of strike action, we believe we are not far from an agreement that protects the work-life balance of our employees and is affordable, sustainable and fair.

"As such, we have decided to defer the introduction of the night Tube to allow more time for those talks to conclude. Our objective is to reach an agreement that ends this dispute and delivers the night Tube for Londoners this autumn."

Mick Whelan, general secretary of the drivers' union Aslef, said: "We welcome this decision by London Underground, which gives us all the time and space to negotiate properly on the introduction of the night Tube in the capital."

Additional reporting by agencies