Tube strike threat

Railway maintenance workers today threatened a strike unless a 'Big Brother style' surveillance camera was removed from a booking-on area.

Union leaders said the miniature camera was disguised as part of a wiring circuit at a station on London Underground.

The Rail Maritime and Transport union called on their new private sector employers Metronet to remove the camera or face a ballot for industrial action.
Metronet said the booking-on area, at Baker Street station, was accessed by a public bridge and there had been two attempted break-ins in recent months which had caused £1,000 worth of damage.

"The camera is designed to catch vandals," said a Metronet spokesman. "We don't even have access to the images. They go back to London Transport or the police."

But Bobby Law, the union's London regional organiser, said: "We are happy to discuss the installation of video cameras to protect our members and the travelling public and to deter vandalism, but this sort of Big Brother surveillance is simply not on.

"We have written to the company seeking an assurance that this and any other covert surveillance devices are removed. If they do not we shall be left with no alternative but to ballot our members for strike action."