TUBE union RMT has confirmed that it is suspending a 48 hour strike by Tube Lines staff, due to start at 7pm on Wednesday, to give members time to vote on a new offer which will deliver a pay increase of 4.2% this year, and RPI plus 0.5% in 2011 and 2012, alongside an agreement on protection of jobs.
The RMT Executive will be recommending acceptance of the offer which will now go out to a referendum ballot of the Tube Lines workforce.
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: “While the Government are lecturing us about pay freezes and possible pay cuts, the most recent group of workers to transfer into the public sector, through the TfL takeover of Tube Lines, have won a deal which delivers them an immediate 4.2% along with inflation-busting increases for the following two years and an agreement on protection of jobs.
“Once again, RMT members have shown that if you are prepared to stand together and take action in defence of pay, jobs and working conditions you can win and there is no doubt that that message will be picked up by other public sector workers who are being told that they have to take the hit to pay for the mess left behind by the bankers bail-out scandal.
“The only defence that working people have against the cuts and austerity measures of the ConDems is a strong, fighting trade union and the Tube Lines workers have proved that point in shovel loads today.”