48-hour UK London Tube strike is called off as London Underground caves to militants and agrees not to close all ticket offices

48-hour UK London Tube strike is called off as London Underground caves to militants and agrees not to close all ticket offices
Rightwing Paper Angry About Government Concessions
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2556679/BREAKING-NEWS-48-hour-Tu...
• TSSA union suspends its second period of industrial action after talks with Transport for London
• RMT boss Crow also calls of action after Acas talks
By RAY MASSEY
PUBLISHED: 06:48 EST, 11 February 2014 | UPDATED: 06:29 EST, 12 February 2014

A crippling two-day Tube strike was called off at the eleventh hour yesterday after London Mayor Boris Johnson caved in to demands from militant union chief Bob Crow.
A jubilant Mr Crow said victory was down to the ‘support and solidarity’ of union members and told them: ‘You are instructed to work normally.’
Rail unions had voted to stage a second 48-hour strike from 9pm last night in the dispute over the Mayor’s plans to close all 260 Tube ticket offices and axe 950 jobs – though without any compulsory redundancies.
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End in sight: Chaotic scenes at London Tube stations last week will not be repeated after both major transport unions behind a strike pulled out of further action
But after talks held with the conciliation service Acas, Transport for London (TfL) bowed to pressure from Mr Crow’s hard-line Rail, Maritime and Transport union and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association.
TfL will now review ticket office closures station by station, which could result in some ticket offices remaining open.
The concession gives a two-month breathing space for further talks and spares millions of commuters a repeat of the chaos endured during last week’s strike.
However it will be seen by some as a climb down by London Mayor Boris Johnson who had said all tickets offices would close, and a victory for hard-line RMT Boss Bob Crow.
Rail unions had voted to strike in the dispute over the Mayor's plans to close all 260 Tube ticket offices and axe nearly 1,000 jobs – though without any compulsory redundancies.
Now ticket office closures will be reviewed ‘station by station’ and this ‘could result in some ticket offices remaining open’, said Transport for London which insisted: ‘We have always been prepared to listen to constructive proposals’.

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Negotiators behind peace talks welcomed the suspension of strike action.
It came after talks aimed at averting the 48-hour strike by London Underground workers from tonight adjourned while the company wrote to unions with proposals, said the arbitration service ACAS.
Both Bob Crow’s RMT rail union and the TSSA union said they are to suspend their second 48 hour strike on London Underground after reaching a deal over ticket office closures.
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Strike called off: RMT boss Bob Crow, pictured last week
The TSSA was first to announce an end to the strike action.
The RMT union has also suspended a planned strike by its members on London Underground, said sources.
John Woods, deputy chief conciliator with the arbitration and conciliation service ACAS said:’We welcome the news that the proposed industrial action has been withdrawn. We want to thank all the parties involved for their hard work and commitment over ten days of intensive talks with Acas.’
Transport for London bosses said they were awaiting official confirmation on suspension of RMT and TSSA strikes following ‘ ‘constructive’ talks at ACAS.
London Underground had proposed ‘two months of intensive talks with unions’ starting tomorrow.
It said: ‘Talks will examine London Underground’s modernisation proposals in detail, station by station.’
In return it said the unions ‘would suspend strikes and industrial action while talks continue’.
A Transport for London spokesman said: ‘Today’s proposal made at ACAS would see LU and trade unions enter a period of intensive discussion on LU’s proposals and suspend further industrial action.’
It noted: ‘The proposals include a commitment by both LU and the trade unions to: suspend today’s strike action; two months of intensive talks to examine LU’s proposals in detail during which time there will be no further industrial action; and, as was always intended as part of the formal consultation, a review, station by station of LU’s proposals which could result in some ticket offices remaining open. ‘
It added; ‘We have always been prepared to listen to constructive proposals.
London Underground managing director Mike Brown MVO said: 'We welcome the constructive talks at ACAS today and await confirmation from the RMT and TSSA that their strike action is suspended.
‘We have always said that we want the unions to engage fully with us, to help shape our proposals for the future of the Tube. The hard work of both the LU and union negotiating teams and the progress we have made at ACAS over the last few days means we can now do that without further unnecessary disruption to Londoners.’
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No repeat: Travel chaos across the capital will not be repeated after an end to the strikes
Mr Crow said: 'After two days of intensive and detailed discussions through the offices of Acas we have now received proposals that halt the implementation of the job cuts which gives us the opportunity to discuss all of the issues away from the pressure cooker.
'We now have a golden opportunity to look again in detail at all of the concerns we have raised about the impact of the cuts on our members and the services that they provide to Londoners. That is exactly what we have been calling for throughout this dispute.
'RMT is happy to discuss any issues with LU through the machinery of negotiation and we are glad that we have now got back to where we should have been right at the start of this process.
'It is unfortunate that we were forced and provoked into a dispute that we never wanted and we are now in a position to move on with the clear understanding that our action is suspended but if there is any further attempt to impose change from above the action will go back on.'
A TSSA spokesman said: 'We have now agreed a process where all our serious concerns over safety and job losses will be seriously addressed through the normal channels.
'We are obviously pleased that we have agreed this process.
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Defeat? It appears Boris Johnson has given in to union demands
London Underground repeated that it planned to have staff based in ticket halls, on gate lines and on platforms rather than in ticket offices, adding that changes would be implemented without compulsory redundancies.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: 'I'm pleased the TSSA and the RMT have agreed to call off their planned strike following talks with Transport for London. It means further unnecessary disruption to London and Londoners has been averted.
'TfL's negotiators have been ready since November to discuss the detail around ticket office closures and wider modernisation of the Tube. It's welcome news that the unions appear to recognise that, and will return to full and substantive discussions with TfL between now and the end of the consultation period in early April.
'Modernisation is essential if we are to properly serve the millions of Londoners who rely on the Tube every day, and who expect a bigger, better service that offers value for money whilst protecting future investment.
'It is essential that our hard-working and dedicated staff, who are vital to the delivery of that vision, understand the changes we are proposing.
'Sitting down to discuss those proposals, free from the prospect of strike action, was always the only sensible way forward. I'm grateful to TfL's negotiating team and pleased the unions agree this is the right way forward.'
Val Shawcross, leader of the Labour group on the London Assembly, said: 'We now need the Mayor to show some real leadership and launch a full public consultation on his proposed cuts to ticket offices and station staffing levels.
'There are some interesting ideas in TfL's plans and modernisation is needed, but Londoners should be given the chance to have their say and improve them.'
In a triumphant message to RMT members Mr Crow said: ‘Following further talks at ACAS, your Executive Committee considered a proposal from London Underground to resolve our dispute.
'Having considered this proposal, your union has suspended all industrial action including the strike that was due to commence from this evening. Therefore you are instructed to work normally.’
He added:’This is what we were asking for all along and thanks to the support and solidarity you have shown, sense has finally prevailed.
‘Nevertheless we remain firmly against these cuts which we will continue to resist in our discussions with management. I will be sure to keep members fully informed of any further developments.’
Londoners face strike chaos but militants fail to paralyse the...

Mr Crow said a mass meeting of all RMT members is to be held next Tuesday 18th February 2014 at 6pm.
Setting out the full details of the deal thrashed out at ACAS, Mr Crow said: ‘London Underground would agree not to implement its Fit for the Future – Stations proposal… until it has undertaken further meaningful and detailed discussions with the trades unions.‘
The consultation period will run from Wednesday 12 February 2014 until week ending 4 April 2014.
He added: ‘During this period of discussion London Underground would put on hold all Voluntary Severance applications received and not request any new applications.’
LU will also remove ‘all learning material associated with its Fit for the Future - Stations proposals’.
In return the RMT and TSSA unions will go back to the table for further talks and ‘ withdraw all industrial action’ said Mr Crow noting: ‘During the above consultation period, London Underground would agree to discuss, amongst other things, a station-by-station review including ticket office closures which could result in some ticket offices remaining open, the proposed methods for stations' job selection, proposed job roles and proposed stations categorisation for Fit for the Future - Stations.’
Millions of passengers stoically endured long walk, gridlocked roads, crowded trains and long delays during the first 48 strike on London Underground which caused massive disruption on Tubes and buses and which critics said was a throwback to the labour militancy of the 1970s.
Prime Minster David Cameron ‘unreservedly condemned ‘the walk-out in a strike voted through by fewer than a third of the Tube’s workforce as ministers draw up plans behind the scenes to outlaw such actions in future.
And the PM chided Labour leader Ed Miliband for his silence and refusal to condemn the strike action which London Mayor Boris Johnson says is ‘holding the capital to ransom.’
RMT union chief Mr Crow took to the picket lines – swapping his swimming trunks for a warm duffle coat - just days after returning from sunning himself on a £7,000 cruise holiday from Barbados to the beaches Rio de Janeiro.
The £140,000 a year left-wing general secretary who still lives in a taxpayer-subsidised council house said Tube staff had a ‘gun levelled at our heads.’