Tube Strike 5th August: RMT Union Demands Indefinite Suspension Of Night Tube

The Union Behind Tomorrow's Strike Wants The Night Tube Suspended Indefinitely
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A rail union is calling for an indefinite suspension of the proposed all-night Tube service, which is due to begin on 12 September.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) described the night Tube as a "vanity project" of Mayor Boris Johnson, claiming it was "fundamentally flawed from top to bottom".

Members of the RMT and three other unions will stage a 24-hour strike from Wednesday evening, which will bring the underground network to a standstill until Friday morning.

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The RMT rail union is calling for an indefinite suspension of the all-night Tube service

Talks aimed at resolving the row ended on Monday and are not due to resume until next week at the earliest. Unions could announce fresh walkouts if the deadlock is not broken.

The RMT said the September 12 start date should be suspended, warning the planned weekend night Tube risked "wrecking" expensive infrastructure, compromising staff and passenger safety and leaving essential safety critical engineering and maintenance works "on the shelf".

General secretary Mick Cash said: "Despite all the bluster from Boris Johnson, Londoners need to be aware that night Tube was rushed and botched from the off, and that is why five weeks before it starts staff are striking because they will not accept that their work/life balance should be wrecked to plug the gaping holes in staffing capacity that should have been dealt with from day one.

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The union has described it as a 'vanity project' for Mayor Boris Johnson

"It is a measure of the current shambles that no further talks are planned and staffing posts essential to delivering a safe extension of operating hours are still being axed.

"Millions of weekday commuters, who fork out a fortune in fares, risk seeing their safety compromised and their services reduced to chaos so that a few thousand revellers can be shipped home in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday morning, and experienced tube managers know that.

"We urgently need to get talks convened with tube professionals who understand the reasons behind a crisis which should never have been allowed to get this far."

A spokesperson for the Mayor said: "Despite the fair, sensible and generous offer on the table – which will see no-one working more hours than they do today - the unions have chosen not to put it to their members and to reject it outright.

"The fact is that the night Tube is well supported by Londoners and by businesses across the capital. The Mayor believes that most reasonable people see its introduction as a progressive move for transport in our city.

"He urges the unions to get back round the table and avoid this totally unnecessary strike."

Steve Griffiths, LU's chief operating officer, said: “After listening to the unions, we put forward an extremely fair revised offer, which addresses their concerns over work/life balance and rewards our people for the hard work they do in keeping London working and growing.

"Despite this, the new offer has been rejected outright by the union leadership, again without consulting their members.

"We continue to urge them to put the new offer to their members and not subject Londoners to further unnecessary disruption."

Tube Strike Misery
(01 of25)
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Commuters cross the river Thames using the Millennium footbridge during a tube strike in London on July 9, 2015. London's roads, buses and overland trains struggled to cope in Thursday's morning rush hour as commuters battled into work in the face of London Underground's first strike shutdown since 2002. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:BEN STANSALL via Getty Images)
(02 of25)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 09: Commuters leave Waterloo Station on July 9, 2015 in London, England. London Underground workers are staging a 15 hour strike after management and unions failed to reach agreement over new night time services. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)
(03 of25)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 09: Commuters leave Waterloo Station on July 9, 2015 in London, England. London Underground workers are staging a 15 hour strike after management and unions failed to reach agreement over new night time services. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)
(04 of25)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 09: Commuters leave Waterloo Station on July 9, 2015 in London, England. London Underground workers are staging a 15 hour strike after management and unions failed to reach agreement over new night time services. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)
(05 of25)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 09: Commuters make their way towards Waterloo Bridge on July 9, 2015 in London, England. London Underground workers are staging a 15 hour strike after management and unions failed to reach agreement over new night time services. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)
(06 of25)
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Commuters queue for buses as tube drivers are on strike in London, Thursday, July 9, 2015. Drivers and station staff were walking out for 24 hours from 6:30 p.m. (1730GMT) Wednesday in a dispute over pay and schedules when a 24-hour subway service starts on some lines later this year.The Underground handles 4 million journeys a day, and the strike by members of four unions will likely paralyze the capital's transport system, despite extra bus and river services. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) (credit:Frank Augstein/AP)
(07 of25)
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People queue for buses outside Liverpool Street Station, London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Lauren Hurley/PA Wire)
(08 of25)
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Passengers alight from a river boat in central London as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought the capital's Underground train network to a standstill. (credit:Ninah Massey/PA Wire)
(09 of25)
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Commuters queue for buses as tube drivers are on strike in London, Thursday, July 9, 2015. Drivers and station staff were walking out for 24 hours from 6:30 p.m. (1730GMT) Wednesday in a dispute over pay and schedules when a 24-hour subway service starts on some lines later this year.The Underground handles 4 million journeys a day, and the strike by members of four unions will likely paralyze the capital's transport system, despite extra bus and river services. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) (credit:Frank Augstein/AP)
(10 of25)
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People queue for a bus at Stratford station, London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)
(11 of25)
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Metropolitan Police with crowds of people queuing for buses at Stratford station, London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)
(12 of25)
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People queue for buses at Stratford station, London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)
(13 of25)
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People queue for buses in Stratford, London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)
(14 of25)
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Commuters on a crowded c2c train at Upminster station, London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Nick Ansell/PA Wire)
(15 of25)
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People dash for a bus at Stratford station, London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)
(16 of25)
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People wait for a bus at Stratford station, London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)
(17 of25)
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A closed entrance to Stratford underground station, London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)
(18 of25)
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A commuter on the c2c line at Upminster station, London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Nick Ansell/PA Wire)
(19 of25)
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Commuters waiting for a train on the c2c line at Upminster station, London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Nick Ansell/PA Wire)
(20 of25)
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Commuters waiting for a train on the c2c line at Upminster station, London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Nick Ansell/PA Wire)
(21 of25)
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Commuters on the c2c line at Upminster station, London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Nick Ansell/PA Wire)
(22 of25)
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District Line tube trains parked at the Upminster depot, London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Nick Ansell/PA Wire)
(23 of25)
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Commuters waiting for a train on the c2c line at Upminster station, London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Nick Ansell/PA Wire)
(24 of25)
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People queue for buses in Victoria station , London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Elliot Wagland)
(25 of25)
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People queue for buses in Victoria station , London, as commuters face travel misery trying to get to work because of a strike which has brought London Underground to a standstill. (credit:Elliot Wagland)
How The Media Covered The Tube Strike (LIST)
BBC(01 of07)
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BuzzFeed(02 of07)
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The Sun(03 of07)
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The Express(04 of07)
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The Mail(05 of07)
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The Evening Standard(06 of07)
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The Guardian(07 of07)
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