Tube unions warn of further strikes

Commuters who suffered a day of disruption because of yesterday's tube strike should brace themselves for a possible worsening of the disruption, transport unions warned last night.

A spokesman for the Rail Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) said action might be stepped up if there was no resolution to the pay dispute between the unions and London Underground (LU).

As union executives met to discuss further action, the spokesman said there might be another strike in a fortnight.

Yesterday, millions of commuters struggled to and from work on packed buses and gridlocked roads as tube services were brought to a halt for the second time in two weeks. Thousands more were forced to walk across the capital to get to their destinations before the strike ended at 8pm.

LU said it had run 18 trains during the 24-hour dispute. The network normally operates 500 trains at peak hours and carries three million passengers a day. Mike Brown, LU's customer services director, said: "We are delighted that some of our train operators have turned up for work despite very heavy picketing at depots." Union officials said the strike action had been "solidly supported", closing the network down.

Aslef said between 12 and 15 workers had broken the strike out of 2,200 members. The RMT reported only minimal numbers from its 8,000-strong union had turned up for work.

The RMT's general secretary, Bob Crow, and the Aslef union leader, Mick Rix, joined workers on picket lines. Referring to the travel upset for the city's commuters, Mr Crow said: "It's diabolical. They shouldn't have to go through this disruption."

He said the strike was a result of LU's refusal to seek mediation with the arbitration service, Acas, to settle the dispute. "If London Underground had observed its agreement with the unions to go to independent mediation, the strike would simply not have happened," he said.

Mr Crow urged commuters to write to the Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling, urging him to intervene. Sir Malcolm Bates, chairman of London Transport, encouraged the unions to call off the strike.