TUBE UNION RMT said today that strike action on the Central Line East is "rock solid" as expected this morning with the union repeating the call for management to start taking the issues at the heart of the dispute seriously and start engaging in genuine and meaningful talks.

RMT has met the company on numerous occasions, including the talks on Monday, in an effort to reach an acceptable solution to this dispute but despite the best efforts of our negotiating team, LUL have maintained that they will be proceeding with the displacements. RMT therefore had no option but to put on this latest phase of strike action to reinforce the demand that management return to talks and halt the forced and unacceptable displacements until agreement is reached. That action is being solidly supported at all depots and pickets are out in force.

Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, said:

“RMT negotiators have made strenuous efforts to resolve this dispute but the door has been slammed in our faces. The action is rock solid today with the impact severe and widespread and the blame for that lies firmly at the door of an intransigent LU management that refuses to see sense.

“Let us be in no doubt, if LU are allowed to get away with this move on the Central Line they will start shunting drivers around the combine at the drop of a hat regardless of the consequences. Our members will be sent out from pillar to post to plug gaps that are solely down to staffing shortages. With massive budget cuts in the pipeline at LU this is a straw in the wind as to how the company expects to operate in the future.

“Staff across London Underground are angry and the company would be wise to recognise that. The action today relects that anger at local level and RMT remains available for serious talks but is now down to the company to show that they are prepared to listen and engage with our negotiating team.”