London Assembly Conservative Group transport spokesman, Richard Tracey has criticised the RMT over plans for a two day strike in June.

Speaking after it was announced that there would be a strike on 9 – 11 June, Mr Tracey said, “Inflation is negative, the economy could shrink by 4% this year, and there’s the RMT making a 5% wage claim.  This is politically-driven irresponsibility on the part of the RMT leadership and it is wrong to strike and hit millions of Londoners already struggling with the worst recession since the 1930s."

He continued, “I urge the Mayor, through Transport for London, and the government to do all it can to prevent this damaging strike taking place.”

Bob Crow of the RMT hailed the result of the ballot which he claimed shows overwhelming support for strike action. He said, “After months of stonewalling LUL has also tabled what is at best a five-year pay freeze which it knows full well could never be accepted, and its managers appear to have been given the nod to unleash a fresh round of bullying.

“We said from the start that our members, whether in LUL or TfL, would not be made to pay for the failure and greed of bankers and privateers, and that any attempt to impose compulsory redundancies would be met with a ballot for industrial action."