Workers' Liberty

RMT has indeed called off its strike on Metronet, but not without naffing off a fair few of its own reps and activists.

It seems that with the mere threat of a strike, Metronet management have suddenly decided that they are able to give guarantees after all, or at least to get their puppeteers at TfL to do so.

Here's RMT's Press Release:

Publication Date: April 18 2008

Company fails to provide uniquivocal written guarantees

Metronet and TubeLines workers' strike committee met last night to co-ordinate their action across the entire network.

RMT members working for Metronet voted 751 to 171 for strike action - that's a whopping 81.5%.

Thought Metronet workers had won a deal with the superbly-effective strike action last Autumn?

Just in case you were thinking that everything is now hunky-dory in Metronet-land, think again.

The phoney war is over - now for the real thing.

Drivers arrived at work on Wednesday and rightly insisted on proof that the trains had been prepared properly after the absence of fleet staff during the Metronet strike.

In a Radio 4 interview, Gerry Doherty (TSSA General Secretary) tried to explain TSSA's position: they are still in dispute but have suspended their strike because they have received assurances over tw

Listening to the news, we are told that Ken is secretly cheering that this strike is calling into question the Public Private Partnership.

Dear Tubeworker

Late last night, RMT suspended its strike on Metronet, claiming 'progress' in talks with management. Next week's 3-day strike remains on and no deal has yet been signed.

Comments from striking Metronet workers about action below. Add yours via the comments box ...

LUL staff are used to management playing fast and loose with safety rules during strikes. Now it seems that Metronet's management have caught on too.

From the start of the strike on Monday, LUL management accepted that they could not possibly run a safe service with all the engineering workers unavailable!

RMT's strike on failed privateer Metronet went ahead today, was solid, and caused the majority of London Underground lines to close down.

Management seem to be clinging to a desperate hope that the Metronet strike will be called off.

Following the massive Yes vote in their ballots, RMT and the two smaller unions TSSA and Unite have named strike dates on Metronet.

Strike ballot result
Total: 1.369 (95.1%) yes, 70 (4.9%) no.
RMT: 1,123 (98.3%) yes, 20 (1.7%) no.
TSSA: 127 (77%) yes, 38 (23%) no.
Unite: 119 (90%) yes, 12 (10%) no.

Brilliant news, as RMT and TSSA (yes, TSSA) have announced that they will both ballot their members on Metronet to stop forced re-privatisation. RMT's press release is below.