Two-Day Tube Strike on Waterloo & City Line Next Week

Image Courtesy of Network Rail

London Underground Control Room staff are planning a 48-hour strike, affecting the Waterloo & City Line.

The Line is used by 35,000 commuters daily. It will be shut down on Monday and Tuesday next week. Workers are striking for solutions to re-grading issues.

General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, Mick Cash, Said:

“LU management must be clear by now on our members legitimate and reasonable demand for re-grading.
“The union has re-iterated that we will not accept an offer, which is based on a change in staff duties or which would cause a detriment to other members.
“Although LU has declined our request for arbitration at ACAS, they are aware that as always we remain available for talks to resolve the dispute.”

RMT added that all members who work on the Line voted for the strike, though this is disputed by the London Underground. Train drivers will not be involved in the strike, rather only the six RMT members, out of the eight staff who work the control room for that Line, will strike.

Richard Tracey, the London Assembly Tory Spokesman for Transport, told the Evening Standard:

“It is disgraceful that such a tiny number of people should be able to cause huge disruption on a major route into the City.
“This is exactly the sort of industrial action we have been complaining about.”

LU Waterloo & City line operations director Peter McNaught said: “We are working on our resilience plan to minimise the impact on the line should this unnecessary strike action go ahead.

“We’ve been in extensive discussions with the RMT over this issue during the past year and we’ve presented various options to bring this dispute to an end.
“These have included exploring development opportunities to help progress the careers of the staff concerned as well as allocating additional responsibilities that would justify a salary increase.
“Unfortunately, all of these options have been rejected outright by the RMT who appear determined to demand more money for no additional work or responsibility.
“We remain committed to discussions with the RMT representatives and I urge them to consider the options we’ve proposed rather than threaten industrial action.”