On Eve Of Tube Lines strike RMT warns of secret plan to reprivatise tube maintenance and unleash nightmare repeat of Public Private Partnership

With Tube Lines staff, including the Emergency Response Unit, geared up to strike for 72 hours from 4pm today in a dispute over pensions and benefits equality with other underground staff, tube union RMT warned that the failure of tube bosses to agree a simple harmonisation of the most basic employment conditions could be linked to a secret plan to reprivatise the maintenance work unleashing the nightmare of PPP2.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said;

"The inexplicable refusal of London Underground to agree to equalise pensions and benefits rights for our maintenance members is deeply suspect and points clearly to a secret plan to reprivatise this work in an action replay of the PPP disaster.

"We understand there are already vulture companies hovering in the wings for another shot at robbing London blind through PPP2 and reducing the network to chaos.

"Instead of playing these political and ideological games with our members pensions and benefits tube bosses should be getting round the table and resolving this straightforward dispute."