London Underground station staff will stage a 24-hour strike on Monday 6 June, the day after the platinum jubilee holiday weekend, in an ongoing dispute over job cuts that could presage nationwide rail strikes later next month.
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has called 4,000 members out on strike in protest at Transport for London plans to cut 600 posts to reduce costs.
Like TfL, the national railway sector is also looking to make cuts after receiving emergency pandemic funding from central government. The RMT’s ballot of more than 40,000 members at Network Rail and 15 train operators over a possible national rail strike closes on Tuesday, with the results due on Wednesday. Walkouts around the country could follow in late June.
The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has suggested the government could try to enforce minimum service levels in the event of industrial action, which unions denounced as a threat to the right to strike.
Meanwhile in Scotland, the government has said it will hold talks with the Aslef union on Tuesday in an attempt to resolve a dispute over pay. An overtime ban by drivers has led to Scotrail taking thousands of services off its timetable and bringing last trains forward by hours.
The newly nationalised company confirmed the meeting hours after Aslef’s Scottish organiser, Kevin Lindsay, accused it of repeatedly ignoring his invitations to negotiate.
The walkout on the tube follows two strikes in a week in early March, and is likely to reduce services and close stations in central London.
The union has also announced an overtime ban from 3 June, which could affect the underground during the jubilee celebrations.
Only station staff, rather than the 10,000 RMT members who walked out in March, will be involved in the June strike, as the union attempts to highlight the area in which posts will be cut under the proposals.
TfL has argued it needs to urgently instigate changes to reduce running costs, with revenues still down significantly since the coronavirus pandemic and London still reliant on additional emergency Treasury funding to balance the books.
Andy Lord, TfL’s chief operating officer, said the action was unnecessary and designed to disrupt the jubilee weekend. He added: “It is particularly surprising that the RMT has threatened to spoil this moment when the nation is coming together as nobody has or will lose their jobs as a result of the proposals we have set out and there have been no proposals on pension changes.
“If the RMT chooses to go ahead with this unnecessary action, we will do everything we can to minimise any disruption and ensure everyone can still make the most of the capital throughout the jubilee weekend.”
Lord said no one would lose their jobs under TfL plans, which would reduce staff numbers by not refilling posts when people move jobs or retire. TfL has been obliged to seek savings, as well as conduct a review of pensions, under the conditions of its emergency funding agreements with the government.
The RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, said: “TfL is trying to bulldoze through 600 job losses on London Underground and our members are not prepared to accept that. Station staff play a crucial role in serving the travelling public and were heroes during the 7/7 terrorist attacks.
“Instead of seeking to cut jobs, TfL and mayor Sadiq Khan need to put further pressure on the government to secure increased funding for the network so we can have a properly staffed, modern 21st-century tube.”
