Tube boss blamed for strike

Rail union Aslef claims Barbatunde Taiwo, a manager for London Underground, has been involved in a large number of "disgraceful incidents" with staff. He is accused of harassing them for taking sick days and wrongfully docking their pay.

Now two 24-hour strikes are being staged over the long-running clash. However, Mr Taiwo remains defiant and insists he has the backing of LU bosses, who have refused to move him to a new post.

As a result, Aslef leaders say strike action will take place on 3 December and 24 December on the Jubilee line.

Today, Mr Taiwo refused to speak in detail about his rift with staff. Speaking outside his Cambridgeshire home, he said: "The company will defend me at the appropriate time. I have no further comment to make."

He lives in a detached house in suburb outside Peterborough and drives to and from work in a £30,000 Mercedes.

The proposed industrial action centres on a dispute by drivers at the Greenwich depot. The union accuses Mr Taiwo of "refusing to abide by local agreements".

Steve Grant, Aslef London district secretary, said: "There have been a large number of disgraceful incidents. These include people being harassed for taking a single day off sick and wrongful deductions of earnings."

With LU refusing to move Mr Taiwo, there is also the threat of further strikes if the row is not settled. Only drivers at Greenwich are involved in the industrial dispute but they account for about half of the 300 drivers on the Jubilee line.

Any strike action would lead to major disruption, with Aslef leaders " confident" that members of other unions would support their strike and refuse to cover for those taking part.

And today, the threat of more disruption to Christmas Eve Tube services increased as the train drivers' union warned trouble could spread to District and Piccadilly lines.

The result of ballots covering the two lines are due on Tuesday 14 December and the union confidently expects " overwhelming support" for action which would stop short of a strike but will see major disruption on the District line.

The Piccadilly line dispute centres on the case of a driver demoted, losing £11,000 a year, after passing through red signals.

Meanwhile, the row on the District line is over working conditions and has been going on for three years. Drivers at the Acton Town depot are taking part in ballot over their complaints about the absence of facilities such as washing, car parking and tea-making at some stations.

Lynne Featherstone, Lib-Dem chairwoman of the London Assembly Transport Committee, called on management and unions to settle the quarrel. She said: "If action does take place on Christmas Eve, it will not be a season of goodwill for thousands of already frustrated commuters in the capital."