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Tube chiefs in talks on job cuts to avert more strikes
Dick Murray17.06.09
Crisis talks intended to prevent more strikes on the Underground are to take place on Friday.
Union boss Bob Crow has warned that if the talks at conciliation service Acas fail there will be more walkouts.
His RMT union staged a 48-hour strike in protest over jobs, pay and working conditions last week.
The union wants a commitment that there will be no compulsory redundancies.
London Underground bosses say while they will endeavour to do all they can to prevent this they cannot give a guarantee.
Mayor Boris Johnson has said 1,000 Tube jobs must go and 100 more at Transport for London. Senior industry sources say the real figure will be nearer 3,000.
LU said it must make job cuts because of the forced takeover of 7,000 staff it inherited from Metronet, the failed maintenance giant which went bust last year with debts of £2 billion.
LU is now cutting spending on Tube lines by £63.5 million.
More than £26 million is being slashed from funding for tracks and signals, £19 million from trains and £18.5 million from stations on lines previously maintained by Metronet.
Lines affected include the Circle, District, Metropolitan, Bakerloo, Central, Victoria and the Waterloo & City.
Mr Crow said: “The consequences of these kind of cuts on the Underground could be potentially disastrous.”
LU denied safety-risk claims but confirmed the figures. It says costs are being reduced but not maintenance.
