The union leader whose members are set to shut the London Underground in a dispute over pay and conditions says he is “not optimistic” of averting the strikes.About 2,000 Tube drivers belonging to Aslef are due to walk out on Thursday and again next Tuesday, with each strike beginning at midnight and lasting 24 hours.'
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00:00Tube strikes are planned for this Thursday and next Tuesday, and they will shut the London Underground if they go ahead.
00:07The strikes have been called by Aslef, the train drivers' union, in its battle to win better pay and conditions for London Underground drivers.
00:16Well, we're here today to listen. These are negotiations that should have finished back in April, but after six months of talks, our members' patience has been exhausted.
00:28So we want to hear a new proposal from the company today, and what we're looking for is real improvements in work-life balance and quality time off for our members.
00:39This is not a dispute predominantly about money. It's about improving working conditions for people who work exhausting shift patterns, keeping London moving.
00:49Now, the one bit of hope for commuters is that talks are being held today, starting at 10 o'clock here at TfL headquarters, this building just behind me in Southwark.
01:00These will involve all four Tube unions, so we have Aslef, the RMT, the TSSA and Unite.
01:08Last Friday, the RMT did suspend its strike, which would have taken place over eight days, and it was largely over the same issues.
01:17Well, we're looking for a roadmap. We've been very clear about moving to those improvements in conditions.
01:22A four-day working week for train drivers is standard across the industry, everywhere else apart from London Underground.
01:29So we want to see progress from London Underground today to move in that direction.
01:35Now, commuters will be hoping for a breakthrough today, because if the Aslef Tube drivers do decide to go on strike, that will be about 2,000 drivers.
01:44The Tube will be shut, and that will bring absolute chaos for those Londoners who are unable to work from home and who rely on the London Underground to get them to work.