Members of the RMT union are to hold strike action this Friday as part of a long-running dispute over pension and benefit parity at Tube Lines, the former PPP contractor.
Transport for London bought Tube Lines in 2010, ending the Tube PPP system, and converted the company into a wholly owned subsidiary.
The union says staff should be allowed to join TfL’s Pension Scheme and receive the same travel concessions as other London Underground staff, including those who previously worked for failed PPP contractor Metronet.
The affected staff are responsible for maintenance and upgrade work on the Jubilee line, Northern line and Piccadilly line and operate the Emergency Response Unit (ERU).
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: “We have gone through all the negotiating channels but Tube Lines continue to refuse to budge and have also refused to engage in meaningful talks.”
Mr Crow added: “Tube Lines is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London and there is simply no excuse for refusing to give equal pension and pass rights.
Affected staff will not book on for shifts between 0600 hours Friday 23rd November 2012 and 05.59 hours Saturday 24th November 2012.
The RMT claims previous strike action and an overtime ban over the dispute “led to the cancellation of tens of millions of pounds worth of essential engineering works on the Northern Line”.
Commenting on the planned strike action Jon Lamonte, Chief Executive of Tube Lines, said: “Further industrial action on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines on this issue is completely unnecessary. Since becoming part of Transport for London, all Tube Lines’ employees have kept their existing terms and conditions of employment.
“Should this action go ahead we have plans in place which will ensure that all London Underground maintenance standards are adhered to. The previous action had no effect on passenger services and we do not expect any impact from this action.
“We urge the RMT leadership to end their action and return to talks, as their issues will only be resolved through constructive discussion.”
