Last
minute


peace
talks
have
averted
several
days
of
RMT
strikes
on
London
Underground
this
week.
The
union
suspended
its
action
on
1
November,
hours
before
the
first
24-hour
stoppage.
This
only
involved
engineering
staff
but
more
widespread
walkouts
had
been
set
to
follow,
and
very
few
Underground
trains
would
have
run
from
tomorrow
until
Saturday.

Chiltern
Railways
services
would
also
have
been
cancelled
between
London
and
Great
Missenden,
because
they
use
tracks
controlled
by
the
Underground
between
Harrow-on-the-Hill
and
Amersham.
The
last
minute
suspension
came
too
late
for
Chiltern
to
amend
its
strike
day
timetables
for
tomorrow
and
Wednesday,
but
the
normal
timetable
is
being
restored
from
Thursday.

After
Friday’s
talks
the
RMT
said:
‘Following
intense
negotiations
with
London
Underground
management
and
a
significantly
improved
offer,
we
have
suspended
the
strikes
scheduled
to
start
this
evening.

‘London
Underground
have
sensibly
abandoned
their
proposed
changes
to
pay
structures
which
now
means
all
our
members
will
receive
the
same
value
in
any
pay
award.

‘Further
discussions
will
take
place
next
week
regarding
the
pay
offer
but
progress
has
been
made
which
would
not
have
been
possible
without
the
fortitude
and
industrial
strength
of
our
10,000
members
on
London
Underground.’

No
further
details
have
been
published
about
the
improved
offer.

ASLEF
members
are
still
set
to
walk
out
on
7
and
12
November,
when
few
Underground
services
are
expected
to
run.

ASLEF
organiser
Finn
Brennan
said:
‘We
don’t
want
to
go
on
strike
–
we
don’t
want
to
make
travelling
in
and
around
the
capital
more
difficult
for
passengers
and
we
don’t
want
to
lose
a
day’s
pay
–
but
we
have
been
forced
into
this
position
because
management
won’t
sit
down
properly
and
negotiate
with
us.’

Transport
for
London’s
chief
operating
officer
Claire
Mann
said:
‘We
are
pleased
that
the
RMT
has
suspended
its
planned
industrial
action
on
the
London
Underground
network
to
allow
further
talks.
We
believe
that
our
offer
is
fair,
affordable,
good
for
our
colleagues
and
good
news
for
London.

‘We
will
continue
to
work
closely
with
all
our
trade
unions,
and
urge
ASLEF
to
also
call
off
its
planned
action.
If
it
goes
ahead,
customers
should
check
before
they
travel
as
during
their
strikes
there
will
be
little-to-no
service.’