TUBE UNION RMT today issued a renewed call for London Mayor Boris Johnson to “get out of the bunker and start talking” as the clock ticks down towards two 48 hour strikes called by the union in defence of jobs, pay and working conditions on Tube Lines starting next Wednesday.

RMT have warned that the threat to tube maintenance jobs will have serious safety consequences with the union already compiling evidence that repairs and renewals schedules are being hacked to pieces in the dash to slash budgets.

The Tube Lines strike action is now only a week away. RMT members will not book on for any shift commencing between 19.00 hours on Wednesday 23rd June 2010 and 18.59 on Friday 25th June 2010 and between 19.00 hours on Wednesday 14th July and 18.59 hours on Friday 16th July.

RMT has warned that the Tube Lines strike – following a nine to one vote for action – will have severe consequences, not just on the Piccadilly, Northern and Jubilee Lines but across the whole tube network as the Emergency Response Unit, dealing with urgent repairs that keep the system running, is run by Tube Lines on behalf of the whole of London Underground.

Transport for London, chaired by London Mayor Boris Johnson, will shortly take over the Tube Lines operation as a subsidiary company following a £310 million buyout with Londoner’s money after a catalogue of failures and profit-taking by the PPP outfit.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“Boris Johnson is the Chair of TfL and as he takes over the Tube Lines operation he has got to also start taking responsibility for the mess that the company have left behind and that includes the dispute over jobs, pay levels and working conditions.

“As the clock ticks down , the Mayor cannot wash his hands of this issue and should show some leadership and agree to direct talks with RMT. It’s time for Boris to get out of the bunker and meet with us face to face.”