Tube bosses 'dicing with death'

The RMT said that all its Tube maintenance members would be balloted for action short of a strike in protest against management plans to double the length of time between safety-critical train inspections from 14 days to 28 days.

The ballot announcement coincided with a fire scare at Oxford Circus Tube station in central London on Friday morning.

The station was evacuated during the rush hour after a station worker noticed smoke coming from a defective air conditioning unit.

Union officials warned that these latest Tube maintenance cuts would not only jeopardise passenger safety but lead to more job losses - a threat the union said London Underground had not denied.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow described the cuts as "the biggest safety carve-up" in the history of London Underground and accused management of "playing fast and loose" with staff and passenger safety.

He added: "These fortnightly inspections identify worn brake blocks, cracks in securing brackets and other distressed components. Moving these inspections to monthly is literally dicing with death in the interests of saving money.

"If anyone wanted a clear example of why we are currently balloting for action over the axing of safety-critical Tube jobs they need look no further than the role played by staff at Oxford Circus," argued Mr Crow.

"RMT has a stark choice - ballot for action or sit back and wait for a disaster to unfold. We have chosen to ballot for action."