Tube strikes called over driver’s dismissal

London underground commuters face four stoppages between 19 June and 1 July after RMT names dates for walkouts London commuters face disruption over the coming weeks after it was announced tube drivers will stage four strikes over the sacking of a colleague. The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union said its members will walk out for between six and 15 hours on four occasions between 19 June and 1 July, hitting commuters and visitors. The strikes are part of an ongoing dispute over the dismissal of Northern Line driver Arwyn Thomas. RMT deny that Thomas was sacked on “trumped-up” disciplinary charges following allegations made against him during a previous strike. The London Underground worker is involved in a tribunal which will reconvene later in June. The action is set to take place on: • 9.01pm on 19 June and 3am on 20 June; • 9.01pm on 27 June and 11.59am on 28 June; • noon on 29 June and 11.59am on 30 June; • noon and 9pm on 1 July. The union’s general secretary Bob Crow said: “RMT has made every possible effort to get Arwyn Thomas back to work and it is the intransigence of LU management, who have dragged their heels and failed to reach agreement over the past month, that has left us with no choice to put this strike action on. “This is a clear cut case of victimisation and RMT calls on London Underground once again to stop the delaying tactics, and the continuing waste of hundreds of thousands of pounds that they have thrown at this case, and get Arwyn Thomas back to work.” The union claims London Underground has spent “at least £250,000″ on legal fees on Thomas’s case. A Transport for London spokesman said it would “respond appropriately to the tribunal’s finding”, and said the strike action had been backed by only 29% of union members. “It is completely mystifying that, having agreed with London Underground that the tribunal process should take its course, the RMT leadership is now threatening strike action again,” a spokesman said. “We remain determined to improve the industrial relations climate and have been working with the RMT to ensure a jointly sponsored independent overview of disputes takes place. “This recent positive engagement makes it all the more incredible for the RMT leadership to threaten Londoners with strike action once again, particularly as it was backed by just 29% of its members.” The spokesman said TfL would “respond appropriately to the tribunal’s finding”. The RMT threatened to strike over the dismissal of Thomas and a colleague, Eamon Lynch, last month . That action was later called off when Lynch won his dismissal case . London Transport Trade unions Adam Gabbatt guardian.co.uk

Posted by on June 9, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.