Sparks and Engineers To Vote On Strike Action

Unite electricians and engineers on the London Underground are planning to hold a strike ballot in protest over their latest pay offer.
600 Unite members have voted 2 to 1 in favour of holding an industrial action ballot as part of wider pay protests on the tube. The workers are responsible for maintenance, safety, management and power control.

Unite has condemned London Underground's 'final' two-year offer of 1.5% in the first year and RPI plus 0.5% in the second year as "doing nothing to help Unite members to meet the real rises in the cost of living, which are not reflected by current distorted inflation figures".

John Morgan-Evans, Unite regional officer, said: "Our members have been very patient but it is unfortunate that London Underground seems to be no longer interested in negotiating a solution. In these circumstances we have no other option than to ballot our members on industrial action. This was the unanimous decision at a meeting of our workplace representatives."

The Unite industrial action ballot will coincide with the RMT union's ballot of its members on the pay issue and it is anticipated that any resulting industrial action would be co-ordinated by the two unions.