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Tube strike ballot leaves two million Londoners facing prospect of summer travel chaos

More than two million people face Tube strike action across the network from the end of next month under plans announced today.

An RMT strike ballot in protest over job cuts will begin on Wednesday among 2,000 staff including those maintaining the signals and power supplies with a result on Tuesday, 16 July.

By law the union must then give two weeks notice of any industrial action. The union is confident of “overwhelming support” for the strike call.

More strike ballots over the jobs issue along with another and completely separate ballot in the growing dispute over pay could follow.

(Alex Lentati)
(Alex Lentati)

Mick Cash, the hardline general secretary, told delegates at the start today of the RMT’s annual general meeting in Manchester the union is “now on a war footing” with London Underground (LU).

Job losses are threatened under Transport for London’s (TfL’s) Transformation Programme.

A TfL spokesperson said: “Over the next three years we will continue to reduce our operating costs whilst delivering improvements to our service, and we are consulting fully with our staff and trade unions before any changes are confirmed. “None of this will compromise the safety of customers or staff, which will always remain our top priority.

“We hope that the RMT will engage with us in this consultation process.”

The spokesperson said TfL’s operating deficit has been significantly reduced as a result of tight financial management and the organisation is progressing towards breaking even on day-to-day operations by 2022/23.

The 2,000 staff in the first ballot have the power to shut down the network which records more than four million passenger journeys a day.

Mr Cash said: “The RMT has made it clear that we will have no hesitation in rolling out the ballot to other groups of staff if the widespread threat to jobs and safety is not withdrawn,” he said.

“It’s about time the management and the London Mayor woke up and took notice. If we are forced by their inaction to escalate the dispute than that is exactly what we will do.”

He repeated warnings of the threat of a national rail strike – revealed earlier by the Evening Standard – in a growing dispute over pensions.

He said he had written to Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, the Rail Regulator and the passenger train operators warning if there is any move to impose reductions in future pension benefits or significantly increase member contributions then the union “will take the necessary action.”

Of combined Tube and rail strikes, Mr Cash said: “This trade union will always look to co-ordinate action across the transport network.”