Tube workers are set to strike early in the New Year after overwhelmingly rejecting a 5% pay offer.Members of the RMT union voted 90.5 per cent in favour of taking strike action in a bid to win a better deal from Transport for London, it was revealed on Tuesday afternoon.Union chiefs were meeting on Wednesday to decide when to walk out. By law, unions have to give two weeks’ notice of a strike.
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00:00 Londoners face a difficult start to the new year after members of the biggest tube union voted to go on strike.
00:08 About 10,000 members of the RMT have voted against a 5% pay offer from Transport for London and are due to walk out in early January.
00:19 No strike dates have been announced yet but it's likely it could be in the first or second week of January meaning commuters face chaos as they return from the Christmas and New Year holidays.
00:32 More than 90% of RMT members on the underground who took part in the ballot voted in favour of strike action.
00:40 Union leaders are seeking an increase of around 11% which they say was roughly the rate of inflation last April when the annual increase was due.
00:50 The union leaders also want a £5,000 basic increase for the lowest paying station staff.
00:56 Transport for London says that the 5% offer was its sort of full and final offer and it simply can't afford to pay any more.
01:04 Unions have to give at least two weeks notice of any strikes meaning there won't be any dates this side of Christmas.
01:11 It's likely that if there is a walk out it will happen towards the end of the first week in January or possibly the second week in January.
01:19 Some trains could still run on the underground because tube drivers by and large will not be on strike.
01:25 Members of Aslef to which most tube drivers belong actually voted in favour of the 5% pay rise.
01:32 So they are now in the unusual position of saying yes to the deal but not being able to get any extra money until TfL solves this dispute with the RMT.
01:41 If the majority of the RMT members go on strike the reality will probably be that especially in central London the entire underground will come to a standstill.
01:51 The only good news for commuters is that the Elizabeth line and the London Underground will still be running.
01:59 .
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