The London Underground will grind to a halt Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm, when members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union go on a 48 hour strike.
Members of RTM voted seven to one to strike, demanding a five per cent pay rise and opposing Transport for London's (TfL) £2.4 billion efficiency savings package plan set to affect the whole network - including buses, trams and Docklands Light Railways – that could lead to compulsory redundancies.
The RMT and TfL are still in talks to try to avert the action.
“It’s a movable feast,” said Jeff Martin, press officer at RMT of the ongoing discussions.
Vicky Watson, press officer at TfL said, “At this stage we are still in talks ... The strike is certainly still on.”
Mayor Boris Johnson has been urging the RMT not to strike.
The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry London Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimated the action could cost the capital up to £100 million in lost productivity.
BBC News reported, that Boris Johnson said “this is the last thing London needs in a time of real economic hardship.”
The strike is expected to bring most of the Tube network, used by more than three million passengers a day, to a standstill.
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