London Tube Strikes 2016: RMT Union Announces Seven More Days Of Action Over Safety Concerns

Just When You Thought It Was Over.. 7 Fresh Tube Strikes Announced
People queue at an entrance to Oxford Circus station, London, as workers try to get home before a strike by Underground workers closes the capital's entire Tube system.
People queue at an entrance to Oxford Circus station, London, as workers try to get home before a strike by Underground workers closes the capital's entire Tube system.
John Stillwell/PA Archive

Commuters are set to face seven more days of travel chaos in the coming months, as one of London's biggest rail unions announced plans for a fresh wave of strikes.

RMT workers will stage the series of full-scale walkouts over "lethal" safety issues, with the first strike to hit Londoners as early as next week.

Union members have threatened action that will run for 24 hours rom 6:30am next Friday.

There will then be subsequent stoppages running up to June, with a total of seven separate strikes planned.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash blamed transport bosses for forcing the strikes on Londoners.

Scheduled Strike Dates:

  • Friday February 12
  • Sunday March 6
  • Friday March 25
  • Sunday March 27
  • Sunday April 24
  • Sunday May 15
  • Sunday June 12

"Nobody should dare to underestimate the severe impact on track safety that the changes bulldozed through by London Underground have unleashed and which have forced our members to take a prolonged period of industrial action to protect both themselves and their colleagues," he said.

"From a situation where everyone knew how to access the track, we now have anarchy and uncertainty. Into this mix we have engineering train movements that we believe will lead to someone being killed and this union will not sit back and wait for a disaster to happen.

"These ill-conceived and lethal changes to track access must be reversed. RMT remains available for talks."

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Steve Griffiths, chief operating officer at London Underground, retorted that extensive discussions with both workers and their unions were already underway over the changes, and maintained safety remained their highest concern.

"Talks are already planned with the RMT union next week at Acas to resolve this issue," he said.

"Safety is always our top priority and we have robust and comprehensive procedures in place to ensure that any staff working on the track are kept safe and are aware of any train movements.

"We have talked to our trade unions extensively about the changes we have made to track access for engineering work and will continue these discussions next week."

It comes after the RMT announced it would recommend its members to accept TfL's 'Night Tube' deal in a ballot later this month.

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