LONDON, July 22: Hundreds of London underground drivers could refuse to work if there are more attacks on the rail network, Britain’s largest rail union warned on Friday. “People were being leaned on very heavily to work in circumstances where they did not know what was going on down there,” a spokesman for the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said.
“We are making it quite clear that our members who refuse to work on safety grounds have every legal right to do so and have the full backing of the union.” He said some drivers had refused to work on Thursday because they feared for their safety.
The spokesman declined to say how many drivers may refuse to work, but another union official earlier told Sky News television hundreds had warned they were going to refuse to drive if there was another blast.
The union, which represents more than half of London underground drivers and other rail staff, also demanded security guards be introduced to underground trains and plans to cut station staff scrapped.
“It is not a case of mass mutiny by drivers but it is a human response,” the spokesman said.
RMT representatives met London mayor Ken Livingstone on Friday. The union’s general-secretary, Bob Crow, said he would push for the introduction of guards on trains, more station staff and better emergency training and equipment.
“When yesterday’s attacks happened we expected the network to be closed down and re-opened once it was deemed safe, as it was two weeks ago, but our members were put under enormous pressure to continue as normal when it was still far from clear what was happening,” Crow said in a statement.
The union has 9,500 members working on London’s underground.
Thousands of workers walked off the job a year ago in a dispute over pay and working hours, shutting down the rail network for 24 hours.
The union representing London bus drivers said none of its members were threatening to stop work but would work with police on any security review.
