Tonight:
5°c
24-hour walkout brings Victoria line to a standstill
Dick Murray and Benedict Moore-Bridger21 May 2009
Hundreds of thousands of commuters faced chaos on their journeys home tonight after one of the busiest Tube lines was suspended by strike action.
The Victoria line, used by more than 600,000 people a day, was halted by the 24-hour walkout by members of the Rail Maritime and Transport union. It was due to end at 9pm.
The action, following a previous strike last month, was over union claims of management bullying and victimisation of RMT members and a dispute over door safety equipment.
LU chief operating officer Howard Collins said: “The RMT is seeking to force London Underground to reinstate a driver who put passenger safety at risk and then sought to cover [it] up.
“The RMT is dressing this up as an issue about the safety of trains — it is not. Victoria line trains have been operating well and safely for 40 years during which time the RMT have never raised this as an issue.
“The reason London Underground has an excellent safety record is because of our strict procedures. It is London Underground, not the RMT, that is defending the safety of passengers.”
Earlier commuters at Victoria condemned the strike. Public sector consultant David Brogan, 39, who had travelled from Kent, said: “These strikes never seem to be about anything that is reasonable or valid. The [unions] are just trying to cause trouble and hit us as much as possible. They want us to put pressure on the company on their behalf and they think this is a way of doing it.”
Teacher Claire Heron, 34, from West Sussex, said she faced missing an important conference in Birmingham: “I need to get to Euston but now I could be late and miss my connecting train. I heard about the strike on the train here and it's made me really stressed.”
Debenhams sales manager Andreas Booth, 26, said his journey to Uxbridge would be disrupted. “I work in retail and you don't see us going on strike. Just because they provide a service they feel they have a right to withdraw that, but they shouldn't.”
Private security worker James Kirsop-Taylor, 26, was trying to get home to Highgate after a night shift. He said: “I'm just tired and trying to get back home. I did not know about the strikes so this is going to be a big inconvenience.”
The strike centres on a string of claims by the RMT, including a demand that equipment be used to stop doors opening on the wrong side of the train. Bob Crow, leader of the RMT, said: “It's dangerous nonsense for Transport for London and London Underground to say this strike isn't about safety.
“The management of the Victoria line run the daily risk of having the blood on their hands from a fatality because they have ignored the RMT's warnings. That's why our members have been forced to strike today.”
Reader views (10)
I see the 'no-strike deal with tube drivers' that Mayor promised before the elections is working well.
- Didi, London, UK, 21/05/2009 13:55
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It is of no concern to me and probably to many others that the workers who strike today will not get paid. We can only assume that these strikers can afford to lose money in these most stringent of times for most other hard working Londoners.
- William Grierson, Kimpton-UK, 21/05/2009 13:46
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I live a good 10 stops away from my job and I know in each station which side the doors are going to open.
And I bet you that at least 90% of the other people that travel by underground know on their route home on which side the doors open. Why cant a train driver that does the same route about 10x more in a week not know the same?
- Csa, London, 21/05/2009 12:05
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It a bit late now theses trains are 40 year old and due to start withdrawel soon to be replaced by a new fleet of trains.
Anyway I thought London was supposed to have a Mayor who chairs TFL to sort this out?
AH WELL NOGO BOJO STRIKES AGAIN!! No wonder Tim O'Toole gave up to return home to his family.
Odd thing is these trains were designed as fully automatic pity London does not follow Paris where they now use driverless trains on some lines.
Looks like the Artics on Route 73 will show how well they can cope in shifting millions of passengers, London is lucky to still have them!!!
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 21/05/2009 12:01
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Some wag posted here yesterday that a better form of strike would be to open all the Victoria line barriers and let passengers on for free.
Leaving aside the fact that you will still be charged on your Oyster card if you leave the tube via a non-Victoria line station, and more importantly that the drivers won't get a day off to catch up on Trisha and Loose Women, it's a great idea, which would get the commuting public behind the strikers much more than a day of disruption.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland, 21/05/2009 11:58
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Bob Crow is a Millwall supporter what do you expect !!!
- Nick Holland, glasgow, 21/05/2009 11:12
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I thought that trains had a safety feature to ensure that the doors were opened on the right side... its called a driver...
- Neil Harrison, Leigh on Sea Essex, 21/05/2009 10:57
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What an annoying bunch of idiots the RMT are. Why can't they sort out their problems maturely without throwing their toys out of the pram and disrupting the entire network. One idiot flouts safety laws and we all suffer. Morons. Sack them all!
- Will, London, UK, 21/05/2009 09:57
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Stand firm, LU. Bob Crow's position on this one is pathetic. After 40 years they decide there's a problem with the trains. An employee who can't recognise what side of the train the platform is would appear to be in the wrong job.
- Sa, London, 21/05/2009 09:51
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Didn't notice any chaos at 06.30. Just remained on the proper train into Liverpool Street and got an uncrowded Circle Line .. all rather civilised and only cost me about 15 minutes.
- Paul, London, 21/05/2009 09:06
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