London Underground drivers plan 48-hour strikes

In a dispute over pay, London Underground drivers are planning on staging two 48-hour strikes. Members of both the Aslef and the Rail Maritime and Transport Union announced a walk-out at noon on March 5 until March 7 and again on March 26 until March 28. Virtually all drivers belong to one of the two unions. Tube passenger train drivers currently earn $41,000 per year, $4,000 less than the rate for driving engineering trains, whose drivers work mostly at night. The unions argue that both sets of drivers do the same work and should therefore receive the same rates of pay. The London Underground claims the two jobs are very different. It remains to be seen whether a compromise can be reached.