The ongoing dispute between members of the RMT union and Transport for London (TfL) is set to continue as 91.1 per cent of members voted ‘yes’ in a ballot over prolonging their ongoing campaign for job security (on a 53.1 per cent turnout). It means that further Tube strike dates are likely, although no decision has yet been taken by union leaders as to when they shall be. The vote gives the union leaders the opportunity to set strike dates for up to six more months or whenever the dispute is called off, meaning it could continue right up to December, just before Christmas.
The RMT has staged four 24 hour walkouts on the London Underground network this year so far. It claims that TfL proposals to reduce station staff headcount by 600 through non-backfilling roles and proposals to ‘make significant progress’ in reforming Tube staff pension schemes would have a damaging effect on their workers, possibly compromising safety. TfL maintains that the plans would involve no compulsory redundancies and that it has not made any decisions on pension reform following its independent review.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “This is a fantastic result for our members and proves that the arguments RMT has been making is endorsed by Tube workers. TfL and the Mayor of London need to seriously re-think their plans for hundreds of job cuts and trying to take hard earned pensions from workers who serve the people of London on a daily basis. We are acutely aware of the funding cuts being foisted on TfL by the Westminster government. However, Mayor Sadiq Khan needs to mount a serious campaign for the people of London, to get the capital city the funding it deserves for its public transport.
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Mr Lynch says the Mayor is not doing enough to stand up for London in his ongoing negotiations with the government over TfL funding which generated the proposals his union is now disputing, adding: “He should not be trying to sacrifice our members pensions and jobs to fit within budget restraints laid down by Boris Johnson.”
This industrial dispute is separate to two other RMT disputes affecting London’s public transport network – one against National Rail companies and Network Rail over pay and conditions (which is the cause of the strikes on June 21, 23 and 25 this week) and one surrounding the Mayor’s transparency over a decision to continue outsourcing cleaning services on the London Underground. Combined with action taken by other unions such as UNITE on London Underground and London Trams, it means disruption is likely all over the summer unless solutions can be found.
TfL and the RMT have come to agreements on other outstanding issues recently. The RMT has not taken action on the Elizabeth line, for example, as it agreed the latest offer for pay and conditions on that service. City Hall and TfL have called on the RMT to return to the negotiating table, branding the strikes “unnecessary.”
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