Tube men take fight to tribunals

Five Tube maintenance workers sacked following the discovery of more than 100 empty cans of beer and cider at their Farringdon messroom are to fight for their jobs at industrial tribunals.

Their union, the RMT, has already announced a strike ballot over the dismissals, raising the threat of huge disruption for commuters.

Voting papers are to go out soon and strikes could take place next month unless the five men, who worked for the private sector consortium Metronet, are reinstated.

One of those sacked today claimed the real reason was because all five had signed complaints against a manager last year following a local row.

The man, who asked not to be named, said: "All five of us signed grievance complaints six months ago - now we are all out of the door." He claimed empty beer cans had been found at other messrooms without sackings.

He added: "We all know the rules about drinking on duty and would not do it."

The worker, whose takehome pay varies between £1,200 and £1,600 a month, said all five men had been subject to alcohol and drug testing last year, but all had proved negative.

A spokesman for Metronet said the company had "no record of any grievance complaints" from the five sacked. He declined to comment further, saying the appeals process is not yet complete.

The men were accused not of actually being drunk but of being in possession of alcohol while on duty - an equally sackable offence.

A sixth maintenance worker will learn on Friday whether he also faces dismissal.