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What is the strike about?
The key issue is the RMT’s demand that there should be no compulsory redundancies. Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, is refusing to agree this. He wants to cut 1,000 London Underground jobs because he says there is duplication following the Metronet’s collapse and the return of its staff to the public sector.
There is also a dispute about pay but the RMT has indicated it would be willing to compromise on this. Bob Crow, the RMT leader, has admitted that, with inflation now negative, the union’s demand last autumn for a 5 per cent pay increase is out of date and needs to be revised.
The RMT is also seeking commitments from LU over disciplinary procedures. LU has interpreted this as a demand to reinstate two sacked drivers. The RMT denies that it made this a condition for calling off the strike. It claims that some LU managers have been ignoring disciplinary procedures.
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Is there something else going on behind the scenes?
Yes. Bob Crow wants to test Boris’s resolve and also try to embarrass him following his election campaign commitment to securing a no-strike agreement with Tube unions. The RMT is sending a clear message that it has no intention of signing such an agreement, which looks to have been an empty campaign pledge.
Why are parts of the Underground running as normal?
Different unions dominate on different lines. The Northern line is the only one offering a full service because most of its drivers are members of Aslef. However, RMT membership among Tube workers has soared in recent years. Tube workers clearly believe that Bob Crow’s militancy and uncompromising approach to negotiation will reap them richer rewards than the more conciliatory approach of Aslef and Unite.
Is this a one-off strike or is it likely to be the first of many?
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The RMT has not yet set any more strike dates but it only has to give 7 days’ notice of them. It is likely to announce another 48-hour strike, possibly taking place next week.