blog archive

Monday, 10 January 2011

Tube Strike Threat Looms Over Royal Wedding

3:59pm UK, Monday January 10, 2011

James Sillars, Sky News Online

Royal wedding well-wishers could face huge travel disruption if a trade union uses it as a key weapon in its pay row with London Underground.

Kate Middleton and Prince William

Prince William and Kate Middleton are due to marry at Westminster Abbey

Aslef - which represents the majority of Tube drivers - has said it may call its members out on Friday, April 29.

The last walkout in the dispute was on Boxing Day, causing disruption on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

The union wants three days' pay and a day off in lieu for working bank holidays.

Tube Drivers: What's The Deal?

    :: Average salary, according to mysalary.co.uk, is £37,800.

    :: Can earn up to £45,000 a year.

    :: Benefits include almost seven weeks' holiday per annum.

Source: London Underground

LONDON - AUGUST 4: Passengers disembark from a Piccadilly Line train at King's Cross underground station on August 4, 2005 in London, England. Over 6,000 British police officers are patrolling stations as the Piccadilly Line has reopened for the first time since the 7 July bomb attacks in which 56 people died

London Underground has previously said that bank holiday working is covered by a long-standing salary agreement.

Any stoppage on the Royal wedding day - itself a bank holiday - risks disrupting the travel around London of tens of thousands of well-wishers.

It could also land police with crowd management problems.

Aslef's general secretary Keith Norman is due to resume negotiations with London Underground and admits the potential strike date is yet to be discussed by the union's executive.

tube and RMT

Members of the RMT union are due to strike this weekend

In two other separate disputes, the public was today given notice by the RMT union of a 24-hour strike to hit the Northern and Bakerloo lines from Friday evening.

It has said the walkouts are in support of two drivers "victimised" by London Underground.

Tube bosses have criticised the ballot process and reasons for the strike, pledging to run what services they can.

No comments:

Post a Comment