New Deal Offered in Bid to Avert Tube Strike

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Industrial action due to begin on Wednesday this week

Talks are due to take place this Monday over a new deal being offered to tube drivers threatening to strike.

The Underground’s management have drawn up revised terms which they say address the unions’ concerns about ‘work-life balance’ for the members when weekend night-time operation is introduced on the tube.

The deal has been put to all four unions involved in the industrial action. Unite is reported by the BBC to have already turned down the deal and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA), and Aslef will be considering it on Monday.

The industrial action, which follows on from a strike in July over the same issue, is due to start on Wednesday at 9.30pm and would be likely to bring the tubes to a standstill for all of Thursday.

General Secretary Mick Cash said, "Our London Underground reps will meet on Monday to look at the detail and we will take a response into the ACAS talks ‎following that meeting. RMT reiterates that next week's action remains on. ".

Manuel Cortes, of the TSSA, said: "We shall be consulting our reps over the weekend and give our response first thing on Monday morning. As of now, however, the strike still remains on."

Steve Griffiths, London Underground's chief operating officer, said of the new offer, "While we have explained that we could not increase its value, we have worked with the unions to re-shape it in response to their concerns over work-life balance. We have now provided a revised offer, which we believe addresses all of their concerns, rewards our hard-working staff and remains sustainable and affordable."

August 2, 2015