London Underground workers are expected to hold a 24-hour strike on New Year’s Eve, bringing the whole tube network to a standstill.
The RMT union has balloted 4,000 station staff members for industrial action in a dispute over staff cuts.
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “Frontline station staff, whose actions saved lives on 7 July, are set to be axed in droves. There have been widespread calls for more uniformed staff after the attacks, but London Underground has responded by cutting visible staff.”
London Underground denied the cutbacks. A spokesman said: “Thanks to the Oyster card, we are selling 1 million fewer paper tickets. Because of the reduced demand on ticket offices, we are deploying some staff to more visible positions.”
The strike is set to take place from lunchtime on 31 January. Tube and bus services will be free from 11:45pm on New Year’s Eve to 4:30am.
More than 500 RMT conductors at Central Trains are also expected to strike on 27 December and 2 January after a break down in negotiations over compensatory pay for members working over the Christmas and New Year bank holidays.
