The Tube is set to be hit with a four-day strike next month following a dispute between unions and management over the rank of Night Tube drivers.
The Union of Rail, Sea and Transport Workers (RMT) announced on Tuesday that it had ordered metro drivers not to work for 24 hours on August 3, 5, 25 and 26.
This follows a decision by London Underground Limited to abolish the rank of night train driver which RMT says will threaten 200 jobs and “destroy the work-life balance of 3,000 tube drivers”.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch called the move a “blatant attempt” to push through a “savage program of budget cuts”, although he insisted that “the union remains available for talks”.
Mr Lynch said: “The London Underground’s proposals to tear up a deal that protects the work-life balance of 3,000 subway drivers have caused an uproar in deposits among drivers.
“This breach of trust by disconnected management abolishes part-time jobs for workers – mostly women – who want them.
“These are the thanks the Tube drivers received for maintaining service during the Covid pandemic. This is a blatant attempt now to use this pandemic to start bulldozing through a savage program of cuts. ”
Nick Dent, director of customer operations for the London Underground, said the changes will create “more flexibility” for staff and “will not result in any loss of jobs”.
Mr. Dent said: “The changes to the way we display our drivers to continue to provide regular metro service and create more flexibility for our staff will not result in any job losses. Part-time drivers have played a vital role in keeping the Underground going during the pandemic, and giving them the opportunity to be part of the larger driver workforce means Londoners can continue to be confident that a service almost normal will continue, while also giving drivers the opportunity for full-time work and long-term job security.
The Night Tube was suspended in March in March of last year before the first nationwide lockdown, with many staff relocated to help run services during the day.
TfL commissioner Andy Byford confirmed earlier this year that round-the-clock metro services will not return until 2022 at the earliest.
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.times-series.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-07-14 13:44:18
