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Union calls for urgent talks over Tube strike
5 Jun 2009Union leaders today called for urgent talks to try to avert next week's strike by Tube workers, which threatens travel chaos in London.
The Rail Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said Mayor Boris Johnson and senior London Underground bosses should "get out of the bunker" and open negotiations over the jobs and pay dispute.
Union members are planning to walk out for 48 hours from Tuesday evening, causing massive problems for millions of commuters and visitors to the capital.
RMT leader Bob Crow said: "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 management's outrageous demands on pay cuts and job losses.
"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."
A spokesperson for Transport for London said: "We welcome the RMT's change of heart and readiness to return to the negotiating table.
"We've always made clear that we're ready to meet with the RMT any time, anywhere. We are already fixing up a meeting with the RMT and all our other unions, who are not in dispute with us and with whom we have been continuing to negotiate.”
