London Tube strikes CANCELLED following ‘positive discussions’
Tube strikes set to cause havoc for London’s commuters and businesses this week have been cancelled.
Planned action from Monday to Thursday will no longer go ahead, said the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, which is locked in a dispute with Transport for London (TfL).
TfL, however, has warned of some disruption tomorrow and has advised passengers to check their website or use the TfL Go App for the latest travel information.
The strikes were set to cause untold chaos for Londoners and the capital’s retail and hospitality sector, with forecasts of a £50m hit to pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants.
But the RMT’s general secretary Mick Lynch said in a statement this afternoon that the planned strikes have been suspended.
He said: “Following further positive discussions today, the negotiations on a pay deal for our London Underground members can now take place on an improved basis and mandate with significant further funding for a settlement being made available.
“This significantly improved funding position means the scheduled strike action will be suspended with immediate effect and we look forward to getting into urgent negotiations with TfL in order to develop a suitable agreement and resolution to the dispute.”
Reacting to the news, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “I’m delighted that this week’s Tube strikes have now been suspended. They would have caused huge disruption for Londoners and would have been a major blow to the capital’s businesses at the worst possible time. The week of action would have cost our hospitality industry £50m alone.”
“This shows what can be achieved by engaging and working with trade unions and transport staff, rather than working against them. In contrast, the adversarial approach taken by ministers has lead to years of strikes across the country, whether on national rail, or in our health and education services – all exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis,” he added.
It marks the latest tube strike to be averted late in the day. Last minute deals were reached in both October and July to avoid disruption on the Underground, although this strike could still go ahead at a future date should upcoming talks fail.
In a statement, TfL warned it remained the case that it could still not afford any more than a previous five per cent pay offer, rejected by the RMT, TSSA and Unite Union in December.
The cash-strapped operator has struggled following the pandemic, relying on a string of government bail-outs. The government gave it a £250m boost in December, but this was just half of the £500m grant it had been seeking.
A TfL spokesperson said: “Today, we were made aware that the Mayor was able to provide additional funds to enable discussions with the unions to continue. We have all consistently made clear that strike action is bad for everyone and would have a negative impact on the city as it recovers from the pandemic.
“We will now meet with representatives of all the unions to agree on the best way for this funding to be used to resolve the current dispute. We will also seek to meet as soon as possible with the unions representing TfL staff.”
The spokesperson added: “We always strive to work constructively with the unions and avoid disruption to London.”
Khan has faced added pressure to keep the Tube network up and running after a leadership campaign pledge promising there would be zero strikes during his tenure. Around 135 have taken place on the TfL network since he took power.