UK Tube Workers Vote to Strike

Nearly 3,000 British tube workers have voted to strike to defend their jobs following the collapse of tube consortium Metronet.

Members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), the Union for People in Transport and Travel (TSSA) and Unite have voted for strike action to preserve jobs and conditions.

The RMT says strike votes were sparked by the "failure of the bankrupt company's administrators to provide guarantees that there will be no job losses or forced transfers as a result of the company's financial collapse".

The RMT has also renewed calls for the entire London tube network to return to public control.

"If we are to have the world-class tube that London needs in time for the Olympics the only sensible answer is to bring the work back into the public sector," leader of the RMT Bob Crow said.

In a response issued today, a spokeswoman for Metronet's administrators said: "Industrial action will not assist the administration process and is completely unhelpful in maintaining the stability of Metronet."

"The administrators have agreed channels for discussion on trade union issues and these channels should be used for assessing strike action."

Reported by Ozge Ibrahim