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14/11/2003
Two Tube lines disrupted by strike action
There has been serious disruption to commuter travel in parts of London today as staff at two Tube lines walked out on a 24-hour strike.
There was no service on the Circle line and the Hammersmith & City line was reduced to a shuttle service between Edgware Road and Hammersmith.
Staff walked out at 9.30pm on Thursday night over the sacking of a union official.
The industrial action was organised by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) Union.
General Secretary of the RMT, Bob Crow, who joined strikers on a picket line at Edgware Road on Friday morning, said that there was widespread support for the walkout.
"Our members are standing by their colleague because they know that if London Underground are allowed to treat one worker so appallingly they can do it to anyone," he said.
“It is one thing to expect employees not to abuse sick leave, but it is something else entirely to ignore evidence provided by an employee that he was doing his best to get fit to get back to work.
"It is a shame that commuters have had to suffer as a result of LU’s arbitrary actions, but we hope now that the company will get back round the table with us at Acas if they prefer and sort this out."
The sacked employee, an Edgware Road train driver, had been on sick leave due to an injury when he was seen leaving a squash club. The man said that he had been instructed to exercise to help get over an ankle injury.
Mr Crow claimed that the worker who had simply been trying to get sufficiently fit to return to work had been victimised by London Underground.
For their part London Underground said that the appeals process had been "exhausted" and that playing squash was not compatible with the reasons given for the employee's sick leave.
Officials from the RMT will meet next week to discuss further possible action and to examine issues over safety following recent Tube train derailments.
LU Managing Director Tim O'Toole said he regretted that due to the strike action proposed by the RMT, Circle line and Hammersmith & City line services may be disrupted.
He said: "We will try to run as full a service as we can, but you are advised to check for the latest situation before you travel."
(SP)
There was no service on the Circle line and the Hammersmith & City line was reduced to a shuttle service between Edgware Road and Hammersmith.
Staff walked out at 9.30pm on Thursday night over the sacking of a union official.
The industrial action was organised by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) Union.
General Secretary of the RMT, Bob Crow, who joined strikers on a picket line at Edgware Road on Friday morning, said that there was widespread support for the walkout.
"Our members are standing by their colleague because they know that if London Underground are allowed to treat one worker so appallingly they can do it to anyone," he said.
“It is one thing to expect employees not to abuse sick leave, but it is something else entirely to ignore evidence provided by an employee that he was doing his best to get fit to get back to work.
"It is a shame that commuters have had to suffer as a result of LU’s arbitrary actions, but we hope now that the company will get back round the table with us at Acas if they prefer and sort this out."
The sacked employee, an Edgware Road train driver, had been on sick leave due to an injury when he was seen leaving a squash club. The man said that he had been instructed to exercise to help get over an ankle injury.
Mr Crow claimed that the worker who had simply been trying to get sufficiently fit to return to work had been victimised by London Underground.
For their part London Underground said that the appeals process had been "exhausted" and that playing squash was not compatible with the reasons given for the employee's sick leave.
Officials from the RMT will meet next week to discuss further possible action and to examine issues over safety following recent Tube train derailments.
LU Managing Director Tim O'Toole said he regretted that due to the strike action proposed by the RMT, Circle line and Hammersmith & City line services may be disrupted.
He said: "We will try to run as full a service as we can, but you are advised to check for the latest situation before you travel."
(SP)
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