London Tube workers to stage strike

London Tube workers will stage a walk-out following the failure of talks with the British government to resolve a row over the closure of Tube ticket offices and job cuts.

Subway passengers in the British capital, London, will face travel disruptions later on Tuesday as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) and the Transport Salaried Staff Association (TSSA) plan to go on a strike to protest the loss of almost 1,000 jobs at ticket offices.

According to Transport for London (TfL), underground services will be hit from this evening up until Friday morning, causing travel chaos for travelers in the capital.

The TfL said many Tube trains, including a number in central London, will not stop at stations, forcing passengers to seek other forms of transport.

The two-day strike, which will start at 21:00 GMT on Tuesday, comes after talks between the government and labor unions broke down on Monday without a settlement.

RMT leader Bob Crow and TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes accused Mayor of London Boris Johnson of refusing to meet union leaders. They also urged him to hold last-minute talks on Tuesday to try to reach an agreement before the strike begins.

“We are prepared to suspend the industrial action if the mayor is prepared to suspend the job losses,” Crow told a news conference.

Cortes also criticized London’s mayor, saying Johnson is determined “to pick a fight with us to further his long-term political career” regardless of the damage it could bring to the network.

“He should put the travelling public ahead of [the] desire to become Tory party leader,” he added.

The walkout will be the latest in a series of industrial action on the Tube since UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s coalition took office, promising belt-tightening measures to rein in a record deficit.

Earlier in January, cleaners at London Underground staged a two-day industrial action, demanding better pay and working conditions.