Planned Tube strikes over noise levels called off at "eleventh-hour"

9 October 2019, 19:01

By EJ Ward

A planned strike action by some London Underground drivers has been called off.

Rail, Maritime and Transport union members on the Jubilee, Central, Victoria and Northern lines were due to walk out just after midnight on Thursday.

The union says an agreement was reached to deal with excessive noise from the tracks - including imposing some speed restrictions and a programme of works to reduce noise.

A Transport for London spokesman said: "Following constructive engagement with the RMT on the plans we have to tackle Tube noise, we are pleased they have suspended their industrial action.

"The health and safety of our staff and customers is our top priority and we will continue to progress a number of immediate and longer-term plans to help solve this complex issue."

Transport for London informed customers that Night Tube services would be closed at times during October while they "carry out rail grinding to try and reduce noise levels."

The General Secretary of the RMT Mick Cash branded it a "massive victory" for union members by using "appropriate industrial action to leverage negotiations with the employer."

He said if the union "hadn’t balloted and declared a programme of action from midnight we would not have secured this eleventh-hour agreement with London Underground."

Mr Cash said: “I want to pay tribute to RMT’s tube drivers and our health and safety reps and negotiators who have secured this major victory for militant trade unionism. The action is suspended but the dispute remains on and we remain vigilant as the agreed programme is rolled out.”