In April, RMT members returned a massive YES vote for industrial action to oppose LUL’s pay cuts, job cuts and mistreatment of staff. Over 83% voted for strikes; 94% for action short of a strike. This result sent a clear message: We will not stand by while you cut staff, attack our living standards and bully us into working when we’re sick.

LUL should have heard this message loud and clear and tried to resolve the issues through negotiation. But no! Instead, our employer resorted to legal threats, having found some minor discrepancies in the information your union sent to them. Because of this, we have had to hold the ballot again.

The law requires RMT to send detailed information about its ballot to LUL. Laws such as this are not designed to ensure a fair ballot, but to make it as hard as possible for unions to organise industrial action. They enable an employer to dismiss a huge majority vote by having its lawyers use trivialities and legal loopholes contained in anti-trade union laws to deny your democratic right to take action.

The company’s ruse has cost time and money; but it has also increased staff’s anger and merely delayed the inevitable.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow says: “You returned a magnificent YES vote for action in the first ballot, but LUL turned to their lawyers and used technicalities that would have made no difference to the outcome to stop your union using that mandate for action. The best response to LUL’s contemptuous attempt to thwart your democratic will is to return an even bigger majority for action.

“Do not let LUL get away with using legislation in place of negotiation. Please make sure you vote, and vote YES for strike action and action short of a strike.”