国际英语新闻:London tube, rail company workers to stage strikes

LONDON, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Workers of London tube network and First Great Western, a main rail company in Britain, will stage a series of strikes for separate reasons in August, unions said Monday.

Unite, one of the largest unions in Britain said on Monday that more than 400 union members working for the tube network of the capital, including electrical, maintenance technicians, linesmen and signalers, will go on a 24-hour strike from 6:30 p.m. local time Wednesday over the dispute of pay and conditions for a new 24-hour tube service, which is expected to be introduced in September in London.

It said members of other unions, such as ASLEF, a union for train drivers and operators, RMT and TSSA will also take part in the strike.

ASLEF also made a statement that the members couldn't accept the offer from London Underground, saying "the main concern is the complete lack of firm commitments on work life balance for train drivers." Their strike will go ahead from 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

London Underground said on Monday that they had put forward a revised pay offer to the trade unions on Friday last week to settle the dispute over pay, 24-hour tube service and changes to modernize customer services at stations.

London Underground chief operating officer Steve Griffiths said the new offer has been rejected outright by the union leadership. He urged unions to transmit the new offer to their members, and not to make further unnecessary traffic disruption to commuters in London.

Tube strike took place earlier in July over the same dispute, which affected millions of people. The large-scale industrial action in last month has been described by local media as the "biggest strike on the London Underground for 13 years."

In addition, another British transport union, RMT, the national union of Rail, Maritime and Transport workers, said on Monday, that rail workers with First Great Western is going to stage strikes on Aug. 23, 29 and 31, over the introduction of the new Hitachi Intercity trains.

The new trains was said to not give assurance on job protection for engineers, while the proposed introduction of driver-only operations would affect the role of guards and platform staff, and buffet and restaurant facilities, according to local media reports.