Militants list eight disputes

London Underground is facing an unprecedented eight official disputes from militant unions.

Today senior Tube managers angrily accused the unions of going "strike ballot crazy" with threats to services used by three million customers a day.

The number of ballots - the RMT is involved in six and Aslef in two - is detailed for the first time today.

Both unions are headed by militant Left-wingers whose readiness to take industrial action has reached record levels. RMT leaders, who have rejected an increase of three per cent and are demanding 5.7 per cent, say they have delayed naming strike dates until the result of the Aslef ballot is known.

The first stoppage, with the two unions acting together, will bring the Underground to a virtual halt, causing massive chaos across London and costing businesses tens of millions of pounds in lost output.

Bob Mason, LU's director of human resources, said: "This constant threat of Tube strike action by the RMT and Aslef is inexcusable. With the RMT at the moment it's a case of 'if in doubt - ballot.' The union has gone strike ballot crazy."

He said LU and London as a whole "cannot continue to be held to ransom by the rail unions, year in, year out". In a graphic illustration of the reemergence of the union barons using their industrial muscle, each of the eight disputes could lead to the entire Tube system coming to a stop or severe disruption on individual lines.

Some disputes involve 10,000 employees - and the smallest just eight workers.

The unions were accused of abandoning the "accepted method of negotiation" and of using the strike ballot weapon before all other avenues have been explored. Mr Mason added: "It's no way to conduct business and it would appear to have little to do with pay and conditions. We don't want this constant conflict. We'd much rather work constructively with the unions."

An RMT spokesman said: "In the current dispute over pay and conditions it was the unions which wanted to go to mediation - but LU refused."