TfL Tube strike: Night Tube talks between TfL and unions RMT, TSSA, Aslef and Unite adjourned until Wednesday
Crunch talks over the Night Tube will not resume until Wednesday at the earliest, as the threat of another Tube strike looms over Londoners.
Representatives of the four unions – RMT, TSSA, Aslef and Unite – met with Transport for London bosses at Acas yesterday for another set of gruelling negotiations over workers' conditions under the new 24-hour service.
An Acas spokesperson said: “Acas conciliation talks adjourned at 4pm and the parties are now taking time to reflect on what was discussed today.
“We're looking to reconvene talks on the morning of Wednesday 12 August.”
RMT said it had set out its "position statement" focusing on three areas – pay, the Night Tube and an initiative called "Fit for the Future Stations" – which had been taken away by London Underground bosses for consideration.
It has said it will defer discussions around pay "at this time". But it has insisted on agreeing rosters and "work-life balance" for all grades "with no one required to work more nights and weekends than at present".
The union is also calling for two workers who were suspended for carrying out "lawful industrial action" to be reinstated,
General secretary Mick Cash said: “RMT has made it crystal clear from the start that in return for the very basic guarantees and assurances sought on work-life balance that the union will work to agree a final form of station rosters for all areas. A final agreement would have as its basis the best work-life balance and reward for staff while addressing the needs of the business which may well require additional staff resources.
“London Underground and the mayor can throw out whatever propaganda they like direct to staff but until these issues are addressed, and the threat of imposition of the rosters is removed, the dispute will not be resolved and it is now time for them to recognise that and to start negotiating seriously around our position statement.
"We’ve seen the proposed rosters and if management and Boris Johnson want to know what staff think they should take a trip to depots like Leytonstone and White City and hear what our members think of being rammed in to what are now known across the job as the 'rosters from hell'."
Cash also slammed Johnson for "refusing to get his hands dirty himself by talking to us".
"That is a major obstacle and is at odds with the way that the first minister intervened directly in Scotland to broker a settlement in the ferries dispute. The ball is now in LU and the mayor’s court.”
Steve Griffiths, London Underground’s chief operating officer, said: “We have made a very fair offer on pay and the introduction of the Night Tube and 500 extra staff have been recruited to help run it. As we have shown already, we are prepared to be flexible to reshape the offer to best suit our staff.
"One of the points that we were able to clarify immediately today was that the Night Tube rosters were never going to be ‘imposed’ but had been made available to help staff see that we are serious about honouring our commitments on work-life balance. We will continue to make ourselves available at Acas for further discussions and trust that the trade unions will too.”