RMT union to meet Tube bosses over jobs row

Extra buses were laid on during the strike

Union officials are due to meet London Underground (LU) bosses later to try to avoid further Tube strikes in the row over job cuts.

Services have returned to normal after a third 24-hour strike by 11,000 union members ended at 2100 GMT on Wednesday.

The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has agreed to the talks but the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) will not be taking part.

Union leaders have offered to lift the threat of disruption over Christmas.

Workers walked out on Tuesday night in protest at plans to axe 800 mainly ticket office jobs, which they say will threaten safety.

But TfL has given assurances that there will be no compulsory redundancies and every station will be staffed.

Fourth strike

During the latest strike unions and LU bosses clashed over the extent to which the strike had affected the network.

Unions said their strongest turn out so far in the dispute had crippled services while Transport for London (TfL) claimed 50% of trains were running.

A fourth strike is planned for 28 November but union leaders have said they have no plans to disrupt services over Christmas and the new year.

Gerry Doherty, of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, said: "It will not be my intention to disrupt festivities.

"I will not be recommending to my members that they strike over Christmas and the new year."

But while the RMT's Bob Crow agreed he went on to say that could change if workers wanted to strike over Christmas.

Talks are due to be held at the conciliation service Acas but the TSSA said until it has consulted staff about a further 1,200 planned job cuts it would not be taking part.