TfL Tube strike: Central Line action to go ahead as Piccadilly Line walkout called off by RMT union

Strikes on the Central Line and Waterloo and City Line to still go ahead

Strikes were expected on the Piccadilly Line (Getty)

The planned 24-hour strike on London Underground's Piccadilly Line on 7 November has been called off, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has announced.

The union said it was suspending the action after progress was made in talks in a dispute over industrial relations.

Tube passengers will however still suffer disruption because of a walkout on the Central and Waterloo and City Lines will still go ahead.

Stations including Stratford, Liverpool Street, Oxford Circus and Notting Hill Gate will all be without the Central Line and are expected to be extremely busy.

Members of the RMT union and drivers’ union Aslef said they would walk out over working conditions and breaches of contract agreements.

Finn Brennan, Aslef's organiser for the London Underground, said: "The issues underlying this dispute - fair treatment at work and complying with agreements - aren't just confined to a couple of areas.

"The Aslef executive committee is to discuss resolutions from our branches on the Hammersmith & City and Northern lines asking to be balloted for action, with other branches set to follow.

"Unless there is a rapid change of approach from management, working inside existing agreements instead of trying to circumvent or 'reinterpret' them, then the likelihood is there will be a network-wide shutdown in the run-up to Christmas.

"Senior figures at Transport for London need to realise just how serious the industrial relations problems on London Underground have become and start to deal with them.

"Aslef does not want to be in a position where we are faced with dispute after dispute. We don't want to see passenger journeys disrupted and our members having to lose money."

Aslef added that it was in discussions with the Hammersmith & City and Northern line branches over potential further strikes if the dispute was not resolved.

Nigel Holness, managing director of London Underground, described the strike as "unjustifiable".

"The union is demanding the reinstatement of a Central line driver sacked over a serious safety breach after deliberately opening the doors of a train in a tunnel," he said.

"We always strive to run a reliable service for our customers but our commitment to the safety of both customers and staff is absolute and something we will never compromise on.

"I urge Aslef to call off this entirely unnecessary strike action which will only cause disruption to our customers."