Tube workers vote to strike over jobs, pensions and conditions

London Underground workers have voted to strike in a dispute over jobs, pensions and conditions.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) said 94% of its members who took part in a ballot backed industrial action.

The dispute involves around 10,000 RMT members and is separate to the row over rosters on the Night Tube which has led to weekend walkouts.

The RMT said its members have been refused assurances on jobs, pensions and working conditions in the midst of an “on-going financial crisis” it claims are driven by central Government.

The union’s executive committee will consider the ballot result but says it will take “whatever action is necessarily” to prevent staff paying the price for a financial crisis “that is not of their making”.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “A financial crisis at LU has been deliberately engineered by the Government to drive a cuts agenda which would savage jobs, services, safety and threaten the working conditions and‎ pensions of our members.

“It must never be forgotten that these are the same transport staff praised as heroes for carrying London through Covid for nearly two years, often at serious personal risk, who now have no option but to rise up and defend their livelihoods.

“The politicians need to wake up to the fact that transport staff will not pay the price for this cynically engineered crisis and we will coordinate a campaign of resistance with colleagues from other unions impacted by this threat.”

Andy Lord, managing director of London Underground, said: “The devastating impact of the pandemic on TfL finances has made a programme of change urgently necessary and we have been working with our staff and trade union colleagues for a number of months as proposals are developed.

“Nobody has or will lose their jobs as a result of the proposals we have set out and there are no current plans to change the TfL pension or terms and conditions.

“We’re calling on the RMT to work with us constructively, to avoid any industrial action which would damage TfL and London’s recovery, as we ensure London Underground is efficient and financially sustainable so it can continue to serve Londoners and support its staff.”