Gig goers in London are being warned to plan ahead as a Tube strike is expected to close the London Underground for two days next week.
The RMT Union confirmed on Thursday (February 24) that its 10,000 members would strike next Tuesday (March 1) and Thursday (March 3) in response to what it sees as a threat to jobs and pensions.
Talks aimed at averting the strike failed, according to the RMT.
The strikes are planned to start at one minute past midnight on March 1 and March 3 respectively, and will each last 24 hours.
Tube chiefs have warned commuters to expect “severe disruption across all Tube lines” with little or no service across the network.
They’ve also warned that the disruption will have a knock on impact on Wednesday and Friday, when morning rush hour services are expected to also be “severely impacted”.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Our members will be taking strike action next week because a financial crisis at London Underground has been deliberately engineered by the Government to drive a cuts’ agenda which would savage jobs, services, safety and threaten their working conditions and pensions. The sheer scale of that threat was confirmed in talks on Wednesday.
“These are the very 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 strike to 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. In addition to the strike action RMT is coordinating a campaign of resistance with colleagues from other unions impacted by this threat.
“The union remains available for talks aimed at resolving the dispute.”
Andy Lord, Transport for London’s chief operating officer, said in a statement: “It is extremely disappointing that the RMT is planning to go ahead with this action. TfL haven’t proposed any changes to pensions or terms and conditions, and nobody has or will lose their jobs because of the proposals we have set out.
“I hope the RMT will get around the table with us, continue talks and call off this disruptive action, which will cause huge frustration for our customers and further financial damage to TfL and London’s economy when we should be working together to rebuild following the pandemic.
“If the RMT does go ahead with this action, then anyone who needs to travel on March 1 and 3 should check before they make their journey, consider whether they are able to work from home and use alternative modes of transport where possible.
“I understand the frustration this proposed strike action will inevitably cause, and can assure customers that we are doing everything we can to mitigate the impacts. Making journeys will be more difficult if the RMT’s strike goes ahead, so I urge any customers to please be considerate towards each other and TfL staff.”
The post Gig-goers warned to plan ahead as Tube strikes planned for London next week appeared first on NME.
0 Comments