Tube strike set to escalate
Hundreds of Tube drivers are expected to take part in the 24-hour strike beginning at 8pm on Wednesday in a move that could close most of the London Underground.
The drivers are members of a union not involved in the strike but are expected to refuse to cross picket lines being organised by the RMT which has ordered the stoppage in a dispute over safety.
The Aslef union has about 2,200 LU driver members. Each will lose a day's pay and technically could face the sack - but Aslef knows LU cannot do this or it would not have a Tube system left to run.
Concern over safety because of the proposed part-privatisation of the system is running high among employees and the Tube now faces the very real threat of a near complete shutdown on Thursday.
Crisis talks to try to avert the strike are to take place between union leaders and LU but do not begin until noon tomorrow, leaving little time to reach an agreement.
By law the Aslef leadership cannot order its members to back the RMT action. However, Aslef leader Mick Rix today reminded members of their "obligation" towards colleagues on strike. He said Aslef "fully shares" RMT's concerns over safety standards. Although the RMT has a history of calling off strike action at the last moment, this dispute is not a simple issue about pay.
It is difficult to know what assurances LU can provide to the RMT to convince the union that the PPP will be safe.
RMT members consist of station staff, signallers and some drivers. LU managers are today organising an emergency service aimed at maintaining as much of the service as possible. They are aided by the Transport and Salaried Staffs Association, the Tube's second largest union whose members include managers, ticket and platform staff. LU does not know how many trains it will be able to run.
Under PPP the Tube will be divided into four main sections. Only the operation of the trains and signals, but not the maintenance, will remain under public sector control.
Financial analyst Maurice Fitzpatrick has warned the Tube stoppage will cost London about £40 million in lost output. Mr Fitzpatrick, head of economics at Tenon, a national professional services organisation, based his figure on 25 per cent of Tube services running.
If drivers do refuse to cross the picket lines and more trains stop, the financial loss to London will be much higher.
