Tube Strike: Union leaders urged to resolve dispute without risking London transport crisis

Union leaders have been urged to resolve a dispute over working conditions and pensions on London Underground without resorting to strikes.

Members of Aslef voted by 9-1 to take industrial action, with the union warning that Transport for London (TfL) was facing a “financial crisis” which was behind the dispute.

A TfL spokesperson said: “This mandate relates to ongoing discussions with our trade unions.

“We urge Aslef to continue working with us to resolve these matters without having to resort to industrial action.”

Finn Brennan, the union’s organiser on the Tube, said the 98.8% vote for strike action was a “staggering mandate” from the Tube drivers.

He said: “Government cuts to its funding, together with a fall in passenger numbers since the Covid pandemic, have led to a financial crisis at TfL.

“Management and Government now want to plug that funding gap by slashing staff pensions and tearing up our agreed working conditions.

“But this ballot result shows that our Tube train drivers aren’t prepared to let them get away with it.”