London Underground Postpones Night Tube Launch

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Saying they want to allow successful conclusion of union talks

London Underground (LU) has announced that launch of the night tube service due to be launched on 12 September is to be deferred.

The decision has been taken after a failure to reach agreement with the unions for work rosters for the new service which would have operated at the weekend. No date has been given for the introduction of the service but LU’s statement mentions a target of ‘this Autumn’.

They say, “Following two weeks of constructive talks with trade unions which led to the suspension of this week's planned strikes, LU has decided to defer the launch to allow for the successful conclusion of those talks and agreement that delivers the Night Tube this Autumn, and avoids any further strike action.”

LU Managing Director, Nick Brown, said: 'Further to the progress made in recent days with the trade unions and the suspension of strike action, we believe we are not far from an agreement that protects the work-life balance of our employees and is affordable, sustainable and fair.

'As such, we have decided to defer the introduction of Night Tube to allow more time for those talks to conclude. Our objective is to reach an agreement that ends this dispute and delivers the Night Tube for Londoners this Autumn.'

Mick Cash RMT General Secretary said: ““This move by TFL proves that our members were right to strike and were right to warn the public about the consequences of the mad rush to introduce the Mayor’s Night Tube plans without agreement. The fact that the plans have now been suspended indefinitely to some vague date “in the autumn” is clearly a massive embarrassment to both Boris Johnson and George Osborne but gives us an opportunity to now get the basics that should have been sorted months ago worked out through direct negotiation."

The union still intends to proceed with its industrial action planned for early September.

August 27, 2015