Ambulance and Tube drivers announce fresh strike dates | Politics News

Ambulance and other health workers in Unison will strike on 8 March in an escalation of the long-running dispute over pay, the union announced.

It comes after Tube drivers confirmed they are to strike on the day of the spring budget in a dispute over pensions and working arrangements.

Transport union Aslef said workers on the London Underground will join around 100,000 civil servants who are set to walk out over pay and conditions on 15 March.

It follows a vote in favour of industrial action by 99% of members of Aslef on a turnout out of 77% in a ballot.

The union said the dispute is over a failure of Transport for London (TfL) to accept that changes to working arrangements and pensions should happen by agreement.

Finn Brennan, Aslef’s full-time organiser on the underground, said: “Our members are not prepared to put up any longer with the threats to their working conditions and pensions.

“We understand that Transport for London faces financial challenges, post-pandemic, but our members are simply not prepared to pay the price for the government’s failure to properly fund London’s public transport system.”

Mr Brennan claimed cuts to safety training have “already been forced through” and said transport chiefs planned to “remove all current working agreements under the guise of ‘modernisation'” – including “agreed attendance and discipline polices”.

“Proposals to slash pension benefits are due to be announced in the next week,” he added.

“We are always prepared to discuss and negotiate on changes, but our members want an unequivocal commitment from TfL that management will not continue to force through detrimental changes without agreement.

“Unless they are prepared to work with us, and accept that changes have to come by agreement, and bring real benefits to staff, rather than just cuts and cost savings, this will be only the first day of action in a protracted dispute.”