Elizabeth line workers are set to strike for the first time after union members voted overwhelmingly for industrial action in a pay dispute.
Members of Prospect at Rail for London Infrastructure voted 94 per cent in favour of walking out after rejecting a 4 per cent pay rise, which they said was below inflation. The union members also voted 92 per cent in favour of taking other forms of industrial action. There are 75 members of Prospect working on the Elizabeth line.
And they may not be the only union to strike. The TSSA [Transport Salaried Staffs' Association] union has previously said managers operating the line, which has clocked up 70 million journeys since it opened on May 24, are paid “significantly less” than others in similar roles. The TSSA is also currently consulting with members and will close their ballot on December 22.
Prospect has not said what dates strikes could be held on or what other forms of industrial action they could take.
Mike Clancy, union general secretary, said: “Our members have worked incredibly hard to get the Elizabeth line ready to go safely into operation yet they are being treated significantly worse than equivalent workers on the rest of London’s network.
“The Elizabeth line itself is now bringing in large extra passenger revenue for Transport for London and is underspent on its budget so there really ought to be room for some movement on pay. Our members don’t want to go on strike but pay is so far behind inflation that they simply cannot manage.”
He added that the union is “open to negotiation” and that he hopes for an “offer sufficient to avert industrial action”.
Transport for London has been approached for a response. It had previously said it had offered managers a 4 per cent rise for 2022 and a 4.4 per cent increase for 2023.
The Elizabeth line has come to the rescue of thousands of Londoners during the RMT Tube strikes this year. It had also been able to continue operating, though with fewer services, during national rail strikes.
Howard Smith, director of the Elizabeth line, previously said about the TSSA ballot: “Strikes are bad news for everyone, and we urge TSSA to work with us and avoid this industrial action.”
