[A-List] UK state: London mayoral election

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Tube dispute shelved after Livingstone intervenes
By Paul Peachey
The Independent, 10 October 2002

A bitter pay dispute that has led to two 24-hour strikes on the London
Underground and cost the economy an estimated £125m was shelved last night.

Union leaders accepted the opportunity to go to mediation once the Mayor of
London, Ken Livingstone, takes control of the Tube system next year. Even
though that will not happen for several months, leaders of the Rail Maritime
and Transport Union and Aslef said they believed it would lead to a large
pay rise for their members.

The executives of the two unions met Mr Livingstone for an hour before
deciding to end the threat of further strikes. The mediation will take place
under the chairmanship of Professor Frank Burchill of Keele University and
any outcome will be backdated to 1 April this year.

Mr Livingstone hopes to have control of the Tube passed to him by February
to April next year. His lawyers will be looking at any legal implication, if
any, of the announcement in which he promises to help to resolve the dispute
while he is not in charge of the Underground.

Mr Livingstone said last night: "This strike has been very much about
management opposing a settlement and ignoring the agreed procedure. It will
be ridiculous to allow strikes to continue week in and out for months to
come when there is a way forward."

One of the first tasks that Bob Kiley, the transport commissioner, would
undertake when the Tube had changed hands would be to negotiate a four-year
deal on pay and conditions to "bring industrial peace to the Underground",
Mr Livingstone said.

Tim Collins, the shadow Transport Secretary, said: "Londoners will be
delighted that the Tube strikes are now off, but horrified that Ken
Livingstone has capitulated completely to the worst kind of trade union
militancy.

"He has sent a signal to every union in London that behaving atrociously
pays dividends and that the more suffering you cause the more likely it is
that London's Mayor will side with you."

Bob Mason, human resources director for London Underground, said the issue
remained unresolved. "We believe that this year's 3 per cent pay award is a
fair one," he said.