Members of three transport unions are downing tools in September. And it's a packed diary of inaction.
September 3: a 72-hour RMT/Unite strike begins at 6pm.
September 4: a 48-hour TSSA strike begins (time not disclosed).
September 5: TSSA strike concludes.
September 6: RMT strike concludes at 6pm.
September 10: a second RMT/Unite strike begins at 6pm.
September 13: RMT/Unite strike concludes.
The strikes are the latest fallout from the collapse of Metronet - the company who service two-thirds of the Tube. The workers are revolting at administrator’s failure ‘to provide guarantees that there will be no job losses or forced transfers’.
Hands up if you ever worked for a company that provided guarantees against job cuts.
Chairman of the London Assembly Transport Committee Roger Evans told the BBC:
"This is typically inflammatory action from the RMT leadership, designed to make a bad situation on the London Underground worse. They care nothing for the welfare of the travelling public. Their only concern is promoting their own narrow interests while the rest of London can go hang."
What does this mean for us (apart from having to go hang)? The strikes will directly affect all Tube lines, except the Piccadilly, Northern and Jubilee. The severity is not yet clear - the RMT describes a ‘massive cumulative impact’ across the network. The trains could theoretically run, but health and safety fears over a prolonged period of no maintenance might lead to station or line closures.
