Boris Johnson this afternoon offered face-to-face talks with RMT union leader Bob Crow - but only if he first calls off next week’s Tube strike.
The Mayor said he was willing to sit down on Monday, a day before the first of two stoppages is due to begin. His move came hours after Mr Crow wrote challenging him “to get out of the City Hall bunker and start talking with us directly”.
Speaking to the Standard, the Mayor said: “Bob Crow constantly pretends I’m blocking TfL from talking to the unions, he constantly claims I’m not interested in resolving this dispute, and he repeatedly suggests I’m not willing to engage in discussion.
“As ever with Mr Crow his assertions are pure fantasy. The truth it is Mr Crow has called a pointless strike on a minority ballot - 70 per cent of his members haven’t voted to support this action.”
RMT and TSSA union members plan to walk out on Tuesday in the first of two strikes against plans to shut all Tube ticket offices by next year with the loss of almost 1,000 jobs. Mr Johnson says “modernisation” will save £50 million a year but Mr Crow claims it will turn stations into “no go zones”.
Mr Johnson claimed “overwhelming” backing from the public. “So here’s my suggestion to Mr Crow: call off the strike now and engage properly with TfL rather than walking away in the middle of a consultation as he has done, and he can meet me at City Hall on Monday morning.
“Hopefully he will be prepared to have a wider discussion on how we can work together to continue to deliver a great Tube for Londoners and our staff, now and into the future, rather than holding this nonsensical threat over Londoners’ heads.”
Earlier Mr Crow said it was the Mayor who was blocking talks. In a letter he said: “He masterminded these cuts and it is now up to him to step up and start taking responsibility for the dispute.”
An RMT spokesman said: “We have been asking for talks with Boris Johnson for eight years.”
Tuesday’s strike starts at 9.30pm and runs until Friday morning. Massive delays and cancellations are expected.
A poll for TfL claimed 82 per cent of commuters back ticket closures, But it was branded “bogus” by RMT general secretary Mr Crow.
