London Underground faces 24-hour strike

BRITAIN: London Underground rail workers announced yesterday they will strike for 24 hours on June 10th, a move that will cause…

BRITAIN: London Underground rail workers announced yesterday they will strike for 24 hours on June 10th, a move that will cause traffic chaos in the capital and may disrupt local elections.

Mr Bob Crow, leader of the RMT union, told reporters that 2,644 of his London Underground members had voted to take action in the pay dispute, with 643 against.

"The timing of the elections are not a big deal because the majority of Londoners aren't going to vote anyway," he added later in a statement.

"Of course the employers can still avoid industrial action, but they need to get around the table with us as a matter of urgency and negotiate seriously." The strike decision was criticised by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which said London's transport problems were the biggest impediment to its bid to host the 2012 Olympic games.