LONDON UNDERGROUND drivers are to stage a series of strikes starting the middle of this month in the on-going row over the sacking of a trade union activist.


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The first strike date is planned for between 9.01pm on 19 June and 3am on 20 June; the second from 9.01pm on 27 June to 11.59am on 28 June; the third starts at midday 29 June and goes on until 11.59 30 June, and the last planned stoppage lasts from midday until 9pm on 1 July.

The driver at the centre of the dispute, Arwyn Thomas, was sacked by London Underground for behaving in an “intimidating and abusive way” towards fellow Tube workers, but has always denied the offence and Thomas’s union, the RMT, says he was fired for his union activity.

The case is currently at an employment tribunal, which is why Tube management have called today’s strike-date announcement “mystifying”, but the RMT point to the similar case of Eamonn Lynch, who recently had his dismissal reversed at the tribunal stage.

“This is a clear cut case of victimisation and RMT calls on London Underground once again to stop the delaying tactics, and the continuing waste of hundreds of thousands of pounds that they have thrown at this case, and get Arwyn Thomas back to work,” said RMT leader Bob Crow.