Strikes by London Underground drivers over pay deliberate for Thursday and Tuesday are SUSPENDED
Planned strikes by London Underground drivers over pay have been suspended after Aslef members followed in the footsteps of trade union RMT.
Members of Aslef were due to walk out on Thursday and again next Tuesday – which would have crippled Tube services.
The RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport) union had already called off strikes last week after resolving a dispute over pay.
Now, Finn Brennan, Aslef’s full-time organiser on London Underground, has said: ‘Following fresh talks, and an improved offer, Aslef has agreed to suspend our planned industrial action on London Underground.
‘Details of the offer will be discussed with our reps at a meeting on Thursday. We are pleased that this progress has been made and that strike action has been averted at this time.’
Strikes by London Underground drivers over pay have been suspended for this Thursday and Tuesday (stock image)
Members of Aslef’s decision to suspend strikes comes after the RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport) union had already called off strikes last week (stock image)
Claire Mann, Transport for London’s chief operating officer, said: ‘We are pleased that Aslef has suspended its planned industrial action on the Tube and that Londoners will not be disrupted this week or next.
‘We believe that we have made an offer to our trade unions that is fair, affordable, good for our colleagues and good for London – and we urge our trade unions to continue working with us.’
The RMT row erupted around a plan by TfL to shake up pay grades amongst staff – a plan union boss Mick Lynch he ‘would not accept’.
An RMT spokesperson said: ‘Following intense negotiations with London Underground management and a significantly improved offer, we have suspended the strikes scheduled to start this evening.
‘London Underground have sensibly abandoned their proposed changes to pay structures which now means all our members will receive the same value in any pay award.
‘Further discussions will take place next week regarding the pay offer but progress has been made which would not have been possible without the fortitude and industrial strength of our 10,000 members on London Underground.’
The RMT said last week that ‘progress has been made’ following talks with TfL but that further discussions were on the cards
Claire Mann, TfL’s Chief Operating Officer, also said last week: ‘We are pleased that the RMT has suspended its planned industrial action on the London Underground network to allow further talks.
‘We believe that our offer is fair, affordable, good for our colleagues and good news for London.
‘We will continue to work closely with all our trade unions, and urge Aslef to also call off its planned action next week.
‘If it goes ahead customers should check before they travel as during their strikes on November 7 and 12 there will be little to no service.’
The average Tube driver salary as of November last year was £63,901, according to a freedom of information response issued by TfL, though many are paid in excess of £70,000.
