Unions are holding Londoners to ransom again

2.23.00pm GMT Thu 20th Nov 2003

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson, today condemned plans by the RMT to go ahead with a programme of disruption on the Tube:

"The union's decision to take industrial action is wrong. Their concerns over the safety regime introduced under the PPP scheme are understandable - the Liberal Democrats were unequivocally opposed to the Government part-privatising the Tube.

"However, causing huge disruption to the journeys of millions of people who travel on the tube every day is not the right way to get these concerns across.

"The union's dispute is not with Londoners. Disrupting services will not help their cause. They will merely frustrate the travelling public.

"This threat to take action should be called off immediately. Although we share their view that the maintenance of the Tube should be brought in-house - like on the overground rail - industrial action is not the way to achieve this aim."