Tube unions threaten pay strike

Tube commuters today faced the threat of yet more strike action - this time over pay.

The warning of increased disruption comes days after more than three million London Underground users suffered an almost complete shutdown of the network in a union dispute over safety. That stoppage alone is estimated to have cost businesses upwards of ? 60 million in lost output.

The dispute is still going on with the possibility of more walkouts. The latest row over pay is an entirely separate issue and follows the breakdown in talks between all the main unions and LU.

LU has increased its pay offer by 0.2 per cent to 3.2 per cent in a two year deal which would also give three per cent the following year. The unions say this is not enough. They have not put a figure on what they want but are demanding a " substantial increase".

Steve Grant, London district secretary and chief Tube negotiator for Aslef, the train drivers' union, said LU had refused to increase the offer or agree to go to independent mediation. "The offer is unacceptable. I shall be recommending to my union's executive that we now go for a (strike) ballot," he said.

Any industrial action involving Aslef is guaranteed to stop the system. It was Aslef's unofficial support of last week's strike, ordered by the RMT union, when drivers refused to cross picket lines, which resulted in so much disruption. LU maintains that there is no "pot of gold" to pay what the unions want. "We have refused to go to mediation because what is the point if we cannot afford to pay any more than we have already offered?" said an LU spokeswoman.

The unions and LU have already meet three times at Acas, the conciliation service, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, there were moves to get the RMT and LU back round the negotiating table this week to resume discussions over safety. LU says it has been negotiating with the unions for the past three years and is willing to hold further talks, this time including representatives from the private sector companies which are taking over large sections of the Tube and the watchdog Health and Safety Executive.