WALTHAM FOREST: Extra buses to run during Tube strike (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WALTHAM FOREST: Extra buses to run during Tube strike

5:39pm Friday 3rd September 2010 in

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TRANSPORT for London (TfL) has said extra buses will run during Monday and Tuesday's Tube strike and that it will try and keep some stations open.

Talks to avert the industrial action broke down yesterday, prompting unions and TfL to heighten their war of words.

A series of 24-hour strikes have been called over the next few months, with the first one set to begin on Monday at 5pm for maintenance staff and at 9pm for other workers, including train drivers.

The action has been called by the RMT and TSSA following a row over plans to reduce the opening hours of some ticket offices on the underground network, which they claim will impact on passenger safety and lead to 800 job losses.

However Transport for London (TfL) say that is scaremongering and that there will be no compulsory redundancies.

Yesterday the RMT accused TfL of refusing to compromise at talks, but transport bosses have hit back and said the break-down of negotiations was the unions' fault.

Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy said work was still being done to try and resolve the row.

He said: "We continue to make every effort to avoid a dispute. There is no need for any action as the changes we are introducing come with no compulsory redundancies, and mean that stations will remain staffed at all times and every station with a ticket office will continue to have one.

"We regret that Londoners will be disrupted if the strike goes ahead, however the RMT and TSSA leadership will not stop London Underground from moving with the times.

"Due to the success of Oyster just one journey in twenty now involves a ticket office, and some ticket offices sell fewer than ten tickets an hour. The Mayor and TfL have prepared plans to keep London moving and thousands of TfL staff will be on hand across the city help our passengers.

"A massive effort is being made including boosting bus and river services, providing shared taxi services and escorted commuter cycle rides, and distributing thousands of walking maps across central London.

"We urge everyone travelling in and around London during the strike to check before you travel and to consider the wide range of alternative travel options by going to http://www.tfl.gov.uk as well as staggering your normal journeys where possible."

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