1 week deadline for negotiations set, or further strikes to hit Tube

The General Secretary of the Transport Salaried Staff’s Association (TSSA) has confirmed that unless a resolution is reached between unions and London Underground this week, staff will take up further industrial action.

Earlier this month, a walkout of staff from both the TSSA and Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) unions resulted in most of London’s zone 1 stations closing. The dispute regards staffing levels and the closure of ticket offices under previous London Mayor, Boris Johnson.

Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA), said: “The clock is ticking and we need an agreement by the end of this week or sadly, further strikes will follow. Our negotiating team remains committed to reaching a resolution which ends this long-standing dispute. We want to ensure that Boris’s last act of vandalism on Londoners is undone so that our Tube is once again safe for both passengers and staff.”

New Mayor Sadiq Khan commissioned an independent enquiry into the closure of ticket offices, and found that whilst they shouldn’t be re-opened, they had been closed prematurely. It also recommended further measures to be taken in making the staff still present more visible. TfL has, as a result, agreed to hire another 150 members of staff.

Talks continue today with Acas, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service today onwards.

The RMT union have also warned that they will look to escalate action, but from Monday 6th February, rather than the week before.

If you’re worried that you’ll be caught up in disruption on the Underground, why not look instead to book a lift across London?