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Tube workers may strike over drinking dismissal
A strike may be declared by London Underground drivers after a worker was allegedly sacked for drinking on the job.
Tube drivers are reportedly planning to strike over the alleged dismissal of a colleague for drinking on the job
According to the Evening Standard, members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union on the Northern Line will decide in the coming weeks whether to take industrial action, with the union’s general secretary Mike Cash calling the dismissal a “blatant and clear cut case of victimisation”.
He added: “RMT has been pointing out for some time now that a new culture of harassment and misuse of procedures is rife on London Underground at the moment and the union will not stand back while individuals are fitted-up and picked off as has happened in this particular case on the Northern Line.
“RMT members are well aware that the only defence that they have in these circumstances, when the internal machinery has been exhausted, is the unity and solidarity in the workplace.”
London Underground bosses said that it has a zero tolerance approach to drinking on the job, and also accused RMT of considering industrial before disciplinary hearing of the employee in question had taken place.
In September this year, French rail staff embarked on a 24-hour strike in defence of two signalmen suspended for drinking rum cocktails on the job.