Misery for London commuters a Tube staff plan strike

Thousands of British commuters will face more misery as a 24-hour strike is planned on two busy London underground lines from late Wednesday.

Transport for London (TfL) told passengers that the strike is planned to start on the Central Line and the Waterloo and City Line from Wednesday evening and will continue on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, representing Tube drivers, said the strike was planned due to forced displacement of staff. The union said a ballot of its members showed strong support for industrial action.

Mick Cash, the RMT General Secretary, said: "RMT negotiators have made strenuous efforts to resolve this dispute but the door has been slammed in our faces."

"We have made all reasonable efforts to resolve this dispute," said Peter McNaught, Operations Director for London Underground's Central line.

According to the TfL, last trains on the Central and Waterloo and City lines will finish an hour earlier than usual on Wednesday night. On Thursday, there is likely to be no trains running on the Waterloo and City Line, and services on the Central Line will be less frequent.

The Waterloo and City Line is used by thousands of workers arriving at Waterloo station from southwest London, Hampshire and Surrey, with many heading for jobs in the City of London.

Other Tube lines are expected to be busier as passengers seek alternative ways of making their journeys.

Last week, a major stoppage across the underground system affected millions of commuters.

--IANS

qd/sac