Growing Anger as London Held to Ransom by Striking Tube Workers

There was growing anger as the UK capital was brought to its knees for the second time in a month after rail workers went on strike, closing down the entire London underground system. The rail unions are contesting rosters for a new through-the-night skeleton rail service, which is due to begin on September 12. 

Rail union Aslef, which represents the majority of underground train drivers at the center of the dispute, said the rosters had not been agreed and the union "does not recognize them".

Mick Whelan, Aslef general secretary, said:

"We support Night Tube. London needs it. We remain prepared to talk at any time to try to find a common ground but by forcing these new rosters on train drivers and acting outside of our agreed way of working senior management are making it even harder to resolve this dispute."

Above Inflation Pay Deal Turned Down

Londoners are angry at the rail drivers, since a newly-qualified tube driver starts on a salary of $77,637 a year, rising to anywhere between $78,000 and $94,000 after five years. They have turned down an offer of an above-inflation average two percent salary increase this year and an inflation-proof rise in 2016 and 2017.

Staff on Night Tube lines or stations will be paid $780 once the service is introduced on September 12 and station staff will receive a $780 bonus in February 2016 for the successful completion of the modernization of customer service.

Drivers, who already work shifts covering 24 hours, will receive an extra $312 per night tube shift during a short transition period, after which they will have the choice whether or not to work Night Tube shifts.

Transport for London, which runs the network said drivers will have the same number of weekends off as now and no one will be asked to work more hours than they do today. Everybody will remain entitled to two days off in seven. Annual leave will remain at 43 days for a train driver and 52 days for station staff.

Finn Brennan, ASLEF’s district organizer, said:

"Our members are entitled to a family life and to some sort of work/life balance. We aren’t opposed to all night services but we want them introduced in a fair and sensible way which rewards staff for their hard work and the contribution they make to the success of the London Underground."

London mayor Boris Johnson condemned the strike action as "totally unacceptable" and laid the blame for it firmly at the door of "politically motivated" union bosses.  A spokesman for the rail union RMT who did not wish to be named told Sputnik: "Many in our union think they’re being greedy and it’s not doing much for us".

The public outcry against the union plays into the hands of UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who has pledged to protect essential public services against strikes. Under reforms to strike laws, the Government will ban strike action in health, education, fire and transport unless the majority of eligible union members vote in favor of striking, with at least 40% needing to take part in strike ballots.

In its manifesto, the Conservatives also said they would overturn restrictions banning employers from hiring agency staff to provide cover during strike action.