Tube workers vote to go on strike

The RMT Union also plans to ballot its members

London Underground (LU) workers have voted to strike in a row over safety and ticket office closures.

The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) union said its members supported strike action by 4-1.

The union is involved in a dispute with LU over a number of issues including the use of agency staff and the closure of a number of ticket offices.

Transport for London (TfL) said these issues have nothing to do with safety and no jobs are at risk.

The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) Union also plans to ballot its members on the use of agency staff and the closure of ticket offices.

Totally unreasonable

TSSA general secretary Gerry Doherty said: "The size of the vote clearly demonstrates what our members feel about what they perceive as an attack on safety standards and the casualisation of safety-critical work.

"We hope that LU now recognise that feeling and will reach a sensible agreement with us which ensures that London has the safest Tube system in the world in the run-up to the Olympic Games in four years' time".

A spokesman for Transport for London said: "These issues have nothing whatsoever to do with safety and not a single job is at risk."

The spokesman said it would be "totally unreasonable" for the unions to end negotiations by threatening strike action.

Members of the RMT working on the LU network went on strike last September in a dispute linked to the collapse of Tube maintenance firm Metronet, causing widespread travel chaos.