Tube workers join drivers in London Underground strike on 15 March

Tube workers in the RMT union will strike on 15 March, joining Aslef in a 24-hour stoppage that will bring the London Underground to a halt.

The strike, on the day of the budget, will be the first this year in London by the RMT, in a long-running dispute over pensions and reducing the number of staff.

Most services were already unlikely to run on 15 March because of the strike announced by Tube train drivers in the Aslef union last week.

The RMT said that London Underground had started moves towards cutting 600 station staff and “refused to rule out attacks on pensions or ripping up agreements on conditions of work”.

Transport for London has agreed to review pensions as part of its post-pandemic funding agreement with government. The union said that instead of standing up to ministers, TfL was trying to implement cuts that would make its members pay for the funding crisis.

The RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, said: “Our members will never accept job losses, attacks on their pensions or changes to working conditions in order to pay for a funding cut which is the government’s political decision.

“Tube workers provide an essential service to the capital, making sure the city can keep moving, and work long hours in demanding roles. In return they deserve decent pensions, job security and good working conditions and RMT will fight and tooth nail to make sure that’s what they get.”

In response to the earlier strike call from Aslef, TfL said: “We have not proposed changes to anyone’s pensions, and instead have been working with our trade unions to see how we can make London Underground a fairer and more sustainable place.”

The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, said the dispute was forced on the city by central government. He said: “None of these pensions changes the government wants to happen will save TfL any money. That’s why we encourage the trade unions to come around the table to talk to TfL – but also the government to remove the sword of Damocles hanging over TfL workers.”