London Tube strike: No deal reached in last-ditch talks as TfL walkout looms

Patrick Grafton-Green3 October 2017

A deal has not yet been reached in last-ditch crisis talks aimed at preventing a crippling Tube strike.

Transport for London and train drivers’ union Aslef have been in peace talks throughout Monday, however both parties confirmed no deal was reached.

The negotiations, hosted by conciliation service Acas, will resume on Tuesday, with the 24-hour walkout set to take place on Thursday.

The strike threatens to shut down the entire network used by more than four million people a day costing London’s businesses tens of millions of pounds in lost production and staff time.

It was ordered by Aslef over claims of an 18 months of delay by management in producing proposals for new working conditions including a four day week.

Transport for London has warned of substantial disruption to Tube services on all lines if the strike goes ahead from midnight.

Nigel Holness, LU's director of network operations, said: "We are committed to ensuring that our employees are able to maintain a good balance between their work and personal lives, and we have been working closely with the unions to explore new ways to achieve this.

"I encourage Aslef to continue working with us constructively rather than moving towards unnecessary strike action."

Finn Brennan, Aslef’s organiser for LU, said: “Deadlines have repeatedly been missed and promises broken while our detailed proposals to resolve these issues have been ignored.”

As well as forcing commuters to find alternative routes to work, football fans will also encounter difficulty getting to Wembley for England’s World Cup qualifier against Slovenia.

The Football Association has confirmed the match will go ahead despite the planned strike and advised fans about alternative transport options.

It said: "The FA is committed to help as many supporters as possible attend the match.

"Over the past few days we have been working with Tfl and our transport partner National Express to set up a range of transport options to help you get to and from Wembley.

"These additional services will remain in place even if the strike is cancelled.

"Please remember to allow extra time for your journey."

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