Yesterday we brought you the very annoying news that Londoners would have to put up with a 24-hour tube strike mainly affecting the District line next week. Then, JOY, the strike was called off.
But, and I apologise for being the bearer of horrid news, the planned strike has now been put back on the table – just at a later date.
In a statement sent out this morning, it was confirmed that Aslef union members on the District line will strike for 24 hours on Wednesday 11 April. Drivers reportedly voted by 98% in favour of strikes on a turnout of almost 80%.
The tube really is just hell on earth, isn’t it
Finn Brennan, Aslef’s organiser on London Underground, said: “We are really disappointed that London Underground has refused, for the last six weeks, to even sit down with us to discuss this issue. Our members want policies and procedures to be applied fairly.
“Sadly, some managers on LU want to pick and choose which policies they apply. Threatening individuals with disciplinary action, refusing to talk, and leaving our members with no other option than to take strike action is not the progressive approach we expect to see from Transport for London.”
A TfL spokesman added: “The situation with this driver is not as the union has described and no disciplinary action has been taken against them. A driver had a number of safety incidents in their first few months of driving and, in line with our agreed policies, was offered an alternative role on our stations which they agreed to. There is no cause for a dispute, and we call on the unions to continue working with us to ensure the safety of our customers and staff.”
Let’s all keep our fingers crossed for another miracle or, you know, that TfL and the unions might be able to get together to resolve their disputes. We can but dream!
(Images: Unsplash)
Latest
Related Reviews and Shortlists
The best Doctor Who episodes, ranked
