16/04/2012

London Underground Workers Vote To Strike

Construction and maintenance workers on London Underground (LU) have voted to go on strike following a dispute over pensions and benehfits.

A spokesperson for the Rail Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union, which represents about 1,000 staff on the Tube Lines contracts, added that workers voted 4-1 to take action.

The dispute has arisen over union members wanting to join Transport for London's (TfL) pension scheme and receive travel concessions.

Members say other people who work for LU receive these benefits and it was time "all groups of staff under the umbrella of London Underground receive the same rights and benefits".

The staff carries out work on the Piccadilly, Northern and Jubilee lines and provide a number of services, including emergency repairs, across the entire network.

The RMT executive will now consider the next move, including whether to set strike dates, which officials said would cause "widespread disruption".

Earlier this year members of the Aslef union went on strike over a row concerning working bank holidays.

TfL has yet to comment.




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