London 2012: Second transport union rejects pay offer

The TSSA is calling for fresh talks to clarify the conditions surrounding the offer

Another transport union has rejected the £850 bonus being offered to London Underground (LU) workers during the Olympics and Paralympics.

The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) said it disagreed with the "demand for total flexibility" attached to the offer.

On Wednesday, Unite rejected the offer.

LU said it had been clear that the extra pay was subject to attendance, customer satisfaction and being prepared to work flexibly.

'Not about money'

Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the TSSA, said: "Our members are willing to work extra to make a success of the Games but, at the moment, LU are demanding a blank cheque from them.

"This is not about money. It is about fair treatment during a critical time for the Tube and the millions of visitors who will be using it this summer."

On Wednesday, Unite rejected the offer because of the "unacceptable conditions" attached.

It claimed a demand for "unlimited flexibility" had not been made until three days of negotiations at the conciliation service Acas had finished.

Howard Collins, LU's chief operating officer, said: "We have been clear in defining what flexibility we need, and the fixed periods of time around the Games when this increased flexibility is required, and we are happy to clarify any aspect of this at any time."

Under LU's proposals, station, maintenance, service control staff and operational managers working over the Games would receive a bonus of up to £850.

The TSSA has written to LU calling for fresh talks to clarify the conditions surrounding the offer.

The same offer has been made to the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, which has yet to respond.

Jubilee line's reliability

A report by the London Assembly Transport Committee said the Jubilee Line, which goes up to Stratford in the East End and will carry passengers to the Olympic Park and other key venues, could be the biggest risk to transport plans for the Games.

The service on the London Underground line has seen disruptions due to upgrade work for the Olympics.

The committee said infrastructure failures rose by 12% between March and December 2011 and with extra trains set to be introduced on the route from 25 March, there may not be enough time for testing.

The committee's head Caroline Pidgeon said she was keen to get reassurances from London mayor Boris Johnson.

She said the Jubilee Line, local parking arrangements and the Olympic Route Network were "still letting down what are otherwise very robust preparations".

Mark Evers, Transport for London's director of Games transport, said: "Enormous strides have been taken to improve the reliability of the Jubilee Line following the completion of works to upgrade the line's signalling system."