Why did the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union go on strike today?

The origins of the dispute lie in the collapse of Metronet, which brought uncertainty to the company’s future, and how many jobs will be needed by the new owners.

The RMT is not just fighting for its members’ interests, but also fighting a particular battle against the part-privatisation of the London Underground.

By going ahead with this strike it is sending a clear message to any potential buyers of Metronet that the union could make life extremely difficult and jeopardise profitability through union militancy.

Ken Livingstone, the London Mayor and chairman of the Transport for London, has said the strike is unnecessary, but it actually suits his agenda, which is to take control of Metronet himself, and control every part of Transport for London because it makes it likely that he will be the only realistic bidder for the Metronet contract.

Is there any justification for the strike action?

No, because the RMT has been given assurances by Mr Livingstone. No employer can guarantee that they will continue to employ the same number of people. It is possible that fewer jobs are needed to maintain the Tube, so why should Tube passengers and taxpayers pay for superfluous jobs?

The RMT is continuing its political agenda - it wants to give the Public Private Partnership a bloody nose and flex its muscle.

Do you think the dispute will be resolved in the talks this afternoon?

Bob Crow, the RMT general secretary, has shown that he can bring chaos to London. He will probably believe that he has made his point and can now be seen to be reasonable by reaching a compromise.

I think it is possible it will be resolved this afternoon - it is likely that the strike won’t go on for the rest of the week, but there will still be major disruption for the rest of today.

Is there likely to be more strike action or fare increases in the coming months?

There is likely to be change. Metronet has predicted a £2 billion overspend, and the new operator of the contract will have to fill in that financial black hole somehow. Fare increases may be one of the ways to raise extra revenue.

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