The Socialist Equality Party spoke to workers at tube stations in London as Tuesday’s planned strike was being called off by the Rail Maritime Transport union (RMT) and Transport Salaried Staff Association (TSSA).
Workers were angry, questioning why the strike had been called off and expressing concern about what would happen in the immediate future.
A gate line worker on the District Line who had not yet heard the strike had been cancelled said, “I supported the strike and am ready to strike tonight, but I expected to be sold out.”
A worker at Kings Cross station commented, “It was in my top ten list that we were going to be sold out. I just got the text from the union calling of the strike. We’ll just have to wait and see what the deal is.”
A Northern line worker said, “I’m a member of the RMT and lost two days pay to fight in defence of jobs and wanted the union to defend them. But I was also concerned and worried that the union will do a deal behind our backs as they have done before.
“I was worried if we did nothing the company would get away with job cuts. I am thinking of leaving the RMT.”
A tube worker at Euston Station read SEP members an RMT message calling off the strike. He said, “Everything is called off until April. I am really concerned about this. It directly affects me my jobs on the line. I don’t know the details, but it looks like the unions have got their positions safe and sound around the negotiating table. I don’t know about our position.”
A worker on the Jubilee Line said, “Its total confusion I’m very concerned about what’s been agreed.”
A Central line worker said, “It’s all been called off, suspended. What does it mean? The company could impose their conditions and we’ll be back to square one. The company know what they have got, but we don’t know what we have got. They haven’t said they are stopping the job cuts.”
A Piccadilly Line worker said, “I believe it has all been called off. I believe the government has come in and told the company and the RMT to sort it out. We will lose our jobs anyway in the end and the unions will betray us.”