Union announces further London Tube strikes

Following a row over the sacking of one of its members, the RMT has announced further strikes on the London Underground.

An Employment Tribunal found RMT member Arwyn Thomas to have been ‘unfairly dismissed’ by London Underground because of his ‘trade union activities’.

However, the RMT claim that LU are refusing to ‘even discuss re-employing Arwyn Thomas’.

The dates announced for strike action are:

• Between 21.01 hours on Sunday 19th June 2011 and 03.00 hours on Monday 20th June 2011.

Around half of all Tube drivers are members of the RMT, and all of these members have been ‘instructed not to book on for any duty’ between the said dates.

Following the strike action above, the RMT say they will then meet to review the action taken and prepare for ‘possible’ strikes on these dates:

• Between 21.01 hours on Monday 27th June and 11.59 hours on Tuesday 28th June.
• Between 12.00 hours on Wednesday 29th June and 11.59 hours on Thursday 30th June.
• Between 12.00 hours on Friday 1st July and 21.00 hours on Friday 1st July.

RMT 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 but to put this strike action on.”

London Underground have called the strikes ‘mystifying’.