Tube drivers to get £500 for working over Olympics

Tube train drivers are to receive a payment of at least £500 for working during next year's London Olympic Games.

London Underground (LU) said it had reached agreement over temporary changes to working arrangements and payments during the event.

Aslef, of which about 60% of Tube drivers are members, said it had agreed as it wants the Games to run smoothly.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union said it had not discussed the plans.

LU managing director Mike Brown said: "This agreement is a good deal for London Underground, our drivers and those thousands of customers who will be attending the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games.

"LU is committed to ensuring that the train service we provide contributes to the successful operation of the Games and I am pleased that we and the unions have been able to engage in constructive dialogue to reach this agreement."

A spokesman for the Rail, Maritime and Transport union said the proposals would be discussed by its executive at a meeting to be arranged in due course.

In May, rail unions agreed to what they called a "groundbreaking" deal with Network Rail, which secured pay rises and other conditions during the Olympics.

Some 10,000 workers will get a pay rise of around 10% over two years and some will get extra shift payments during the games, in the joint RMT-TSSA deal.

No staff can be dismissed during the Games and disputes will be fast-tracked or suspended until September.