Strike triple whammy for London as talks stall in rail, air and tube disputes

 

Hopes evaporated yesterday for a resolution to any of three strikes due to hit UK transport next week after talks over industrial action at London Underground broke down and disputes at British Airways and Southern Rail remained stalemated.

The lack of progress means travellers face a week of disruption starting at 6pm on Sunday when Underground ­station staff start a 24-hour walkout. Drivers at Southern and some BA cabin crew will both strike for 48 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, while Southern drivers will strike again on Friday.

The strikes are likely to hit the London area particularly hard. LU warned it was unlikely to be able to open many stations in the central Zone 1, while Southern is unlikely to run any trains on its strike days.

BA yesterday vowed all passengers booked to travel on strike days would be able to complete their journeys. The ­airline said it would operate all ­scheduled services to or from London’s Gatwick and City airports on Tuesday and Wednesday, when “mixed fleet” cabin crew belonging to Unite are due to walk out.

BA, part of International Airlines Group, would also operate the “vast majority” of flights to and from London Heathrow normally but would merge “a very small number” of services, offering affected passengers earlier or later flights than planned.

The only movement in negotiations yesterday was at LU, where staff are due to walk out in protest over the effect of cuts in their numbers. Both sides attended talks over a potential settlement – in which LU accepts it needs to take on more staff at some stations – but they broke down by early afternoon.

Mick Cash, general secretary of the RMT, one of two unions representing station staff, said LU had failed to ­produce any “serious plans” for tackling what he called a “staffing and safety ­crisis”.

Steve Griffiths, LU’s chief operating officer, said there was no need to strike, arguing the company was already intending to review staffing levels.

There was no progress over resolving the twin disputes between Govia Thameslink Rail, Southern’s parent, and the unions that represent drivers and conductors on the busy service. The Aslef drivers’ strike is expected to halt all trains on Southern, which normally carries 300,000 passengers daily.