Millions of commuters face travel
chaos after it was announced that London Underground (LU) workers will be
balloted for strike action in a long-running dispute over pay.
Nearly 8,000 members of the Rail
Maritime and Transport Union will vote next month on whether to take industrial
action over a final pay offer of 3.7 per cent.
The results of the ballot papers
will be known by September 27 and any resulting industrial action would be held
in early October.
The union decided to hold the ballot
after LU refused to increase its pay offer to 4 per cent, the figure
recommended by independent mediators at Acas.
“The cause of this dispute lies
squarely on the shoulders of LU who have shown arrogant disregard for the views
of the independent arbiter. It seems PPP bidders are pulling LUs strings in
order to ensure they do not inherit an increased wages bill,” said Bob Crow,
the union’s assistant general secretary.
Karen Higginbottom
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