Threat of trouble on Tube as RMT backs strike call

RMT union members at Tube Lines have voted for strike action, threatening disruption to the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines.

The union has not announced strike dates and it must give seven days' notice of any industrial action.

RMT leader Bob Crow said 92 per cent of members had supported the call for strike action in a row over pay and working conditions.

TfL is buying out stakeholders in maintenance giant Tube Lines for £3.2 billion after repeated delays in upgrades to the Jubilee and Northern lines. But Mr Crow said the company will continue to exist as a separate legal entity with a threat to jobs, conditions and pay. He said members faced "an uncertain future".

A Transport for London spokesman said: "This action by the RMT relates to an existing dispute with Tube Lines, over which Transport for London does not have control.

"We would urge the RMT leadership to resolve their dispute in a way that does not needlessly inconvenience Londoners."