Train drivers on a busy London Underground line have launched a 24-hour strike over the dismissal of a colleague, causing traffic disturbances for commuters.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union walked off their jobs on the Underground’s northern line at 6:00 on Monday in response to the sacking of one of their coworkers.
The sacked worker is accused of drinking alcohol on the job, but the union argues that the move is a blatant case of victimization.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash rejected the drinking claim as “totally untrue.” According to Cash, the dismissed driver had a “specific medical condition” and the London Underground had failed to follow procedures, which “led to this unwarranted dismissal and the subsequent strike action.”
The union and transport authorities held talks on November 28 and 29 to avert the strike action, but failed to reach any conclusion.
London commuters faced a similar strike action by Tube workers earlier this year. In August, the members of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) staged a 24-hour strike over the management’s treatment of workers. According to the ASLEF, workers were facing disciplinary action for being just 33 seconds late in leaving a train station, or being treated badly when sick.
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/3050
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