LONDON (AFP) — A planned 48-hour strike by London Underground workers was called off Monday after unions resolved their differences with the management.
Members of the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union had threatened to walk out on April 28 and 29 over demands for guarantees about work conditions and pensions following the collapse of maintenance firm Metronet.
But RMT general-secretary Bob Crow recommended to his executive that the strike be called off, saying he had received a written pledge about the terms and conditions for about 2,500 former Metronet staff.
"It is difficult to understand why these assurances could not have been given without us having to name strike dates," he said.
The planned industrial action had threatened to cripple Underground services in the British capital just as campaigns for the London Assembly and mayoral elections on May 1 hit their peak.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
