Tory MP warns of transport 'mega-union'

A senior Conservative today warned Londoners faced more strikes on the transport network after it emerged a “mega-union” was one step closer.

Tory vice-chairman Bob Neill claimed the body, planned through a merger of two existing unions, would be able to hold London’s rail, tube and bus passengers “to ransom”.

It would see the UK’s biggest union Unite, which has some 1.4 million members and is Labour’s largest financial backer, join the 31,000-strong Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association.

An outline of the move was agreed by the unions over the summer with a final decision hoped for in September.

Mr Neill said: “This merger would see the creation of a mega-union, able to hold London and the Labour Party to ransom. Ed Miliband should condemn these talks and refuse to take a single penny from the hard-Left union they plan to create.”

He added that he thought the merger would lead to “more strikes” on the capital’s transport system.

TSSA leader Manuel Cortes said Mr Neill was MP for Bromley and Chiselhurst, which he described as “very non-industrial”.

He added: “We would not expect Mr Neill to display much knowledge as to how industrial relations actually operate. His ill-informed comments merely underline in fact that he has zero knowledge in this area and is merely repeating propaganda spoon-fed to him by Tory Central Office.”