Jobs/Pay/Justice Dispute

I would like to congratulate members on the stand they have taken in supporting the strike action. You know it’s having a massive effect when the media take notice and start chasing their own tails.

On the one hand they are saying loads of trains are running but on the other we are inconveniencing 3 million commuters because they can’t get on the tube. The reality is LUL are running a skeleton service at best, and it is LUL that are inconveniencing the public as they pulled the deal that could have sorted this dispute out at the last moment.

Following discussions today, RMT tonight confirmed that talks aimed at settling the London Tube dispute will take place at ACAS next week, on a date to be confirmed, with LUL.

Striking RMT members today received backing from Labour Movement legend Tony Benn.

Following earlier support from MPs and GLA members, Mr Benn, one of the most best known and respected politicians of modern times paid tribute to Tube workers and urged others to do the same, Mr Benn said simply:

“LONDON DEPENDS ON THE TUBE WORKERS AND THE TUBE WORKERS ARE ENTITLED TO GET SUPPORT FROM LONDON.”

RMT members were strongly supported in Parliament today when the Labour MP for Hendon, Andrew Dismore MP, used questions to the Leader of the House of Commons to wade into the Mayor and London Underground. Mr Dismore accused them of pulling the rug on the deal reached with RMT negotiators on Tuesday night which would have allowed for the tube strike to be suspended.

The MP's intervention follows the intervention by several London Labour MPs today, former Mayor Ken Livingstone and Assembly members calling for Boris Johnson to agree with direct talks with the RMT.

Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone today launched a furious broadside against Boris Johnson and his tube chiefs for their failure to meet with RMT at an early stage to address the issues at the heart of the tube dispute.

Livingstone has also made it clear that the union is right over the key issue of compulsory redundancies.

Writing in The Times, and speaking on radio this morning, Livingstone said:

By Emily Ashton, Press Association

Thursday, 11 June 2009

A Labour MP today said there was a "real suspicion" that Boris Johnson's fingers were "all over" the provocation of the strike on London Underground (LU)

Andrew Dismore (Hendon) said Mr Johnson, the Mayor of London, had "interfered" and caused a planned suspension of the strike to be lifted.

He told the Commons that the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union had signed an agreement on Tuesday evening to stop the strike going ahead.

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST trade union, Unite, which is also one of the four unions on London Underground, has pledged its full support and solidarity with the RMT in its current dispute over jobs, pay and bullying on the Tube.

Unite have also joined a growing call for Mayor Boris Johnson to enter into direct talks with RMT which has been supported today by London Labour MPs, GLA members and former London Mayor Ken Livingstone.

Peter Kavanagh, Unite regional industrial organiser, said:

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow sent the following message to all union members:

"Dear Colleague,

A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL SECRETARY

THE TRUTH (AND IF NOT SUE US FOR LIBEL)

This is my 31st year as a member of this Union and a worker on London Underground and in all that time I have never experienced such dishonesty from any management that I have dealt with. Let me explain to you what really happened at the talks.

The Facts