Tube strikes to cause two weeks of commuter chaos May 4, 2011 LONDON commuters are facing two weeks of abject misery after the firebrand Tube union announced a wave of strikes, called over the sacking of two drivers. The RMT yesterday said its drivers would stage three walkouts lasting between nine and 24 hours from Monday 16 May to 20 May, followed by a further three walkouts [...]
Tube staff vote to strike April 27, 2011 Londoners could face a fresh wave of transport misery after RMT union members voted in favour of more strike action. The union says it will now consider “the appropriate course of action,” which could lead to yet another staff walkout. The RMT claims two Transport for London (TfL) workers, Eamon Lynch and Arwyn Thomas, were [...]
Tory MP calls for tough new law on strikes April 26, 2011 A CONSERVATIVE MP yesterday proposed new legislation that would ban strikes by transport and emergency workers unless 50 per cent of unionised employees vote in favour of industrial action. Dominic Raab, MP for Esher & Walton, used the 10-minute rule procedure in the House of Commons to call for a change in the current law, [...]
Strike alert at public sector pension cuts March 10, 2011 MEASURES to rein in the spiralling costs of public sector pensions were proposed by Lord Hutton yesterday, prompting strong threats from trade union leaders. A cap should be imposed limiting cost to the taxpayer, the independent pensions commission suggested. As a result, workers “might need to increase their contributions, or take a smaller pension,” Lord [...]
RMT sets DLR strike dates January 13, 2011 TRANSPORT union RMT yesterday announced 48 hours of strike action on the Docklands Light Railway between 03.59 hours next Thursday 20 January 2011 and 03.58 hours on Saturday 22 January 2011 in a dispute with Serco Docklands. RMT blamed a “breakdown” in industrial relations for the move. The planned strike comes after the government warned [...]
DLR staff vote to strike January 12, 2011 CANARY WHARF is set to endure another round of travel misery, after workers on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) voted in favour of strike action yesterday. The RMT union said 162 staff from operator Serco Docklands voted to strike, with 36 voting against action in a dispute over pensions, working hours and redundancies. David Stretch, [...]
Unions won’t risk royal day strike action January 11, 2011 TRADE UNIONS have downplayed the threat of potential strike action on the day of the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton. Threats to ruin celebrations on 29 April incensed the city, after fears unions could bring London to a grinding halt, as millions the world over turn their focus on the capital for [...]
Coalition’s VAT hike slammed by all sides January 3, 2011 CHANCELLOR George Osborne was caught in the political crossfire as the UK braced itself for today’s rise in VAT to 20 per cent. The tax hike will cost families £400 a year and risk up to 250,000 jobs, Labour leader Ed Miliband claimed while on the by-election campaign trail in Oldham yesterday. Osborne accused the [...]
TRAIN STRIKE LOOMS IN SOUTH-EAST December 7, 2010 A RAIL strike on trains run by Go-Ahead Group’s Southeastern franchise is looming after leaders of the Rail, Maritime & Transport union announced plans to ballot members over alleged proposals to axe jobs and reduce the role of rail team leaders at Charing Cross and Victoria stations. RMT boss Bob Crow said Southeastern was about to [...]
Tube strike begins… again November 28, 2010 A fourth “pointless” underground strike began last night, leaving millions struggling to get to work this morning. The strike, which began at 7pm yesterday, will continue until 7pm tonight, with many services not fully resuming until tomorrow morning. London Underground (LU) officials had hoped to strike an eleventh hour deal with its workers but talks [...]