Unions can’t agree on how to fight cuts to spending September 13, 2010 WHEN Brendan Barber, general secretary of the Trade Unions Congress (TUC), addressed the organisation’s annual summit yesterday, he sounded more like Neil Kinnock than the heir of militant miners’ leader Arthur Scargill. “The government is pursuing a political agenda, so our response must be political,” Barber told delegates, as he sought to distance himself from [...]
Tube strike causes gridlock and costs economy £48m September 7, 2010 Millions of commuters across London struggled to get to work on Tuesday as a 24-hour strike by workers on the underground rail system crippled much of the network, hurting the city’s convalescent economy. Passengers took to bikes, buses, walked, or made use of extra boat services on the Thames that runs through the city in [...]
Tube strikes cause misery for Londoners September 6, 2010 MILLIONS of Londoners faced long delays getting into work today as London Underground (LU) strikers are set to continue their action into the evening. Yesterday at 5pm, LU maintenance and engineering staff left their posts and were followed four hours later by drivers, signallers, station staff and operational managers at trade unions RMT and Transport [...]
Tube workers set to strike August 24, 2010 TUBE workers are set to go on strike on 7 September in the first of a series of monthly walkouts in protest at 800 proposed job cuts. The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union secretary Bob Crow and Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) leader Gerry Doherty are due to meet today to finalise the timetable [...]
Underground workers vote to strike August 11, 2010 LONDON?could be plunged into transport chaos after rail union RMT’s members voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action. The underground workers are furious the government is pushing ahead with tough cost cuts they say could total more than £4bn over three years. It is thought station and ticket staff are likely to bear the brunt [...]
Unions plan national walkout August 2, 2010 BRITAIN is facing another winter of discontent, after unions were urged to coordinate strike action and plan a series of national walkouts. The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has called on public sector workers to down tools at the same time, in protest against swingeing cuts planned by the coalition government. The union, run [...]
Tube strike off after pay offer July 12, 2010 Tomorrow’s strike by Tube Lines has been suspended while staff vote on whether to accept a new offer of a 4.2 per cent pay rise and increased job security. Rail union RMT confirmed yesterday that its members would vote on the revised package. Management will recommend that members accept the offer. Tube Lines workers, who [...]
TfL closes door on Tube Lines takeover June 27, 2010 BORIS JOHNSON, London’s Mayor, and Transport for London (TfL) have completed the takeover of Tube Lines. Under the agreement, TfL has purchased all of Tube Lines’ shares from Bechtel and Ferrovial’s Amey, for £310m and will now manage the ongoing work to the Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines. Johnson said the deal will open a [...]
BAA weathers air travel disruption and plans Heathrow improvements June 24, 2010 AIRPORT operator BAA lowered its 2010 profits forecast by £10m yesterday, less than the £40m lost in disruption caused by the British Airways strikes, winter storms and volcanic eruptions. It also rekindled plans for a high speed railway from Waterloo to Heathrow, mooting further investment in rail links and improving Terminal Two with the money [...]
Two-day Tube strike starts June 23, 2010 LONDON Underground maintenance workers began a 48-hour strike at 7pm last night, after last-ditch legal action by employer Tube Lines failed. A High Court judge denied Tube Lines an injunction to stop the strike, despite arguments that the strike ballot was invalid. “We urge the RMT to pull back from taking this needless action which [...]