Tube chiefs could sue RMT on strike

LONDON Underground threatened yesterday to sue the RMT rail union for lost revenue over a 24-hour strike due to go ahead this evening.

Management backtracked from an earlier warning of an injunction to prevent the stoppage and claimed that more than 50 per cent of services would be operating.

After an hour-long meeting of its executive, the union said the strike, in protest at a 2.5 per cent pay offer, would go ahead at 7.30pm. An RMT spokesman said the Central Line would be worst hit and the union expected a strong response from members. He said that, although services would be running, some central London stations would be closed because fire regulations demanded full staffing.

The RMT's executive would be standing by today in case of last-minute peace proposals.

The possibility of litigation follows allegations that not all the 7,500 RMT members on the Tube system had received strike ballot papers. Employees had voted by more than two to one for walkouts, but in a ballot that attracted only a 38 per cent response.

An RMT spokesman said the vote had been overseen by the independent Electoral Reform Society, which had reported no irregularities. 'If management has any specific complaints they will be investigated. We suspect that the allegations only refer to very few people,' he said.

Fifteen hours of peace talks broke down on Tuesday after the RMT demanded a pay increase of between 4 and 5 per cent on the basis that management had saved pounds 60m through improved efficiency. An RMT spokesman said: 'Part of that money should be used to reward staff.'

London Underground said the RMT did not understand its financial position and pointed out that other unions had accepted the 2.5 per cent increase.

As the RMT's action loomed after its four-month battle with Railtrack, an internal election promoted a Communist to a senior position.

Bob Crowe, a member of the executive, succeeded right-winger Tony MacGregor as assistant general secretary. Mr Crowe, who is also on the central committee of the Stalinist Communist Party of Britain, was himself an employee of London Underground.