Strike threat hardens over drivers' pay

The prospect of Tube strikes increased today as London Underground said its pay offer would not even "come close" to unions' demands.

Tension between the RMT and Aslef unions and LU is rising, with drivers demanding a 5.7 per cent increase.

Mike Brown, one of the principal negotiators, said: "No calculation comes close to the aspirations that the trade unions appear to have in their minds."

On South West Trains, already facing its third 48-hour stoppage, management have further infuriated union leaders by drastically axing staff overtime in an effort to recoup some of the £1.5 million-a-day losses caused by the last strike.