Christmas Tube strike

Tube drivers have called a Christmas Eve strike on one of London's busiest lines.

Leaders of Aslef say the stoppages will take place on the Fridays of 3 December and 24 December on the Jubilee line, used by more than 450,000 passengers a day.

Only drivers at the Greenwich depot are involved but as they account for about half of all staff considerable disruption is forecast.

The dispute concerns a London Underground manager the union claims is "refusing to abide by local agreements".

The union want the manager moved but LU is refusing to do this, prompting the union to threaten more strikes if the matter is not settled.

Steve Grant, Aslef London district secretary, said: "There have been a large number of disgraceful incidents.

"These include people being harassed for taking a single day off sick and wrongful deductions of earnings." Mr Grant said he was "confident" that members of other unions would support the Aslef strike and refuse to cover for those taking part. He said industrial relations with LU had "broken down".

Train drivers on two other Tube lines - the District and Piccadilly - will also vote this week on whether to take strike action in separate disputes. The row on the District line involves working conditionsand has been going on for three years. Drivers at the Acton Town depot, which also covers Earl's Court, are taking part in a ballot in the on-going row.

This involves arguments over facilities such as washing, car parking and teamaking at stations which are not their "home" depot. Many of these more remote stations do not have all facilities available at the home depot.

Drivers are also being balloted for industrial action at the large Arnos Grove depot on the Piccadilly line. This concerns a driver who was demoted to station assistant after having passed signals at red. The union says although the driver did pass through reds he thereafter carried out correct procedures. The union is demanding his reinstatement. The East London line is also threatened with disruption in a local row over the time taken to turn around trains.

Of the Jubilee line strike an LU spokesman said: "We intend to run a limited service. Strike action is not the way to resolve this issue."