Tube dispute finally settled

12 April 2012

A bitter dispute which led to strikes on London Underground was dramatically called off tonight following the intervention of the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone.

Leaders of the Rail Maritime and Transport Union and Aslef accepted the Mayor's offer to take the pay row to non-binding mediation.

Union leaders said even though this could take months they believed it would produce a big pay rise for Tube workers.

The executives of the two unions met Mr Livingstone for an hour before deciding to end the threat of further strikes.

Mr Livingstone told the unions that the dispute would go to mediation as soon as Transport for London takes control of the Underground, which is expected to happen in the next few months.

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, said: "The Mayor has given a guarantee that as soon as he takes control of London Underground the just pay claim will be referred to independent non-binding mediation and that the outcome will be backdated to April of this year."

Mr Crow said he was positive that once the unions put their case to the mediation they would be given a pay rise above the three percent which has been imposed by LU.

Mr Livingstone said: "I am pleased that Aslef and the RMT has accepted my offer of independent mediation under auspices of Acas once the Tube is handed over to me.

"I have made it clear that I will accept the outcome recommended by the mediator.

"The settlement recommended by the mediator will be backdated. Aslef and the RMT have decided to call off their strikes.

"This decision shows that it is possible to have constructive industrial partnership rather than conflict.

"I believe that if there had been independent mediation earlier the strikes would have been averted."

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