Tube strike continues for second day

Commuters face difficulties for a second day as London's Tube strike continues until 7pm today June 11.

The London Underground (LU) said that services are running on more than half of the lines and there is a full service on Northern and Jubilee lines. Today’s Tube service picture seems better than yesterday’s.

The dispute between the RMT and the London Underground over pay and job security has yet to be resolved.

Bob Crow, RMT Union leader, said on a Youtube video made by RMT television that the union had managed to form an agreement with the LU.

RMT was ready to suspend the strike until the LU "pulled the rug from under a workable agreement" minutes before the strike was to begin, he added.

LU denies doing so. Ben Pennington, an LU spokesman, said that the company held talks with the RMT union for seven hours focusing mainly on the issue of compulsory redudancies when the union members walked out from the talks and began the strike. He added that the "agreement" Mr Crow refers to was just a piece of paper where the union represenatives had written their interpretation of the talks; the LU disagreed and refused to sign although willing to continue the negotiations.

Although some suggested that in a time of recession, union members should be more realistic with their demands, RMT leader argued that workers were not to blame for the financial crisis so they shouldn’t “pay” for it.

Bob Crow commenting on the absence of the Mayor’s direct involvement, said: “I am surprised that after trying to see the Mayor, who is responsible for transport, he is not getting involved. The transport commissioner is not getting involved either.”

Services on all Underground lines will be fully restored by Friday, June 12, at noon.