TUBE UNION RMT today called on the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, and his senior tube bosses, to “get out of the bunker” and open meaningful talks ahead of the 48 hour tube strikes which will start at 18.59 hours next Tuesday, 9th June.

It is now a week since RMT announced the strikes after receiving a massive mandate for action from members at London Underground and TfL. All preparations for the strikes are now in place and the support is rock solid.

The strikes are over attempts to impose a five year pay deal on London Underground linked to deflation which would mean a real pay cut years into the future. Both TfL and LUL are looking at massive job cuts which could mean the axing of up to 4000 posts with the ripping up of existing agreements on compulsory redundancies. Bullying and victimisation of tube staff is rife.

Bob Crow, RMT general secretary, said today:

“RMT have made it clear that we are available for talks but the silence from the Mayor and his senior managers suggests that they prefer confrontation and disruption. We are telling them today that the time has come to get out of the bunker and start talking to the staff who have been pushed into this strike by the managements outrageous demands on pay cuts and job losses.

“We revealed this week that there are 123 tube bosses earning over £100,000 a year plus bonuses. Instead of attacking our members jobs and pay the senior managers, who pull in over a quarter a million a year, should start earning their money and start talking to RMT.

“More than a year into his term of office, it’s also about time Boris Johnson met face to face with the biggest tube union to deal with the range of issues which have provoked this dispute on the transport system he has responsibility for,” Bob Crow said.