Transport: Clashes over impact of London Tube strike

The Rail Maritime and Transport union said 24-hour walkouts over job losses were "solidly" supported and had crippled Tubes, leading to a "skeleton" service, or none at all on some lines.

More disruption is threatened in the coming months.

But Transport for London (TfL) maintained that well over a third of

Tube trains ran.

Commuters walked, cycled, shared a taxi or joined long queues for a bus to beat the action by members of the RMT and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, who are protesting over plans to axe 800 jobs, claiming the cuts would affect safety.

Three further 24-hour strikes are planned to start from the evenings of October 3, November 2 and November 28, although it is likely that fresh talks will be held in an attempt to avert more disruption.

Business leaders said the strike cost the economy almost 50m, with firms paying for staff to stay in hotels, laying on alternative forms of transport, or allowing people to work from home. RMT general secretary Bob Crow, who joined a picket line at Euston, said TfL's figures on the level of services were a "complete fabrication", adding: "They have claimed to be running a full service on lines where large numbers of stations have remained closed all day.

"It is time the Mayor instructed his transport officials to take this safety issue seriously, drop his cuts and open up meaningful negotiations with the unions over the future of a safe and secure Tube network."

London Mayor Boris Johnson cycled to the Stock Exchange in the City to speak at the opening session of the Capital Markets Climate Initiative as the effect of the strike took hold during the morning rush hour.

He said the staffing proposals were "moderate and sensible" and accused the unions of "cynically deciding to try the patience" of commuters.

Mike Brown, LU's managing director, said everything was done to keep as many Tube services operating as possible.

He said the unions' safety argument had never been raised in any formal forum and was completely without foundation. "It is simple

scaremongering designed to mask their wish to strike."