Sadiq Khan has been warned he could face more tube strikes as a rival union rages at the pay deal offered to members of Mick Lynch’s RMT.
The London Mayor reportedly coughed up £30million just hours before RMT workers planned to shutdown the Underground with a week-long walkout.
Tube drivers represented by rival union ASLEF after voting to accept a five per cent pay deal in November.
A source told The Times: “Their union told them in good faith that five per cent was the final offer from Transport for London (TfL) and that there was absolutely no more money.
Sadiq Khan with insets of ASLEF workers and a suspended tube board
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“For Khan to suddenly find the magic money tree for the RMT has undermined everything.
“Very senior people at TfL feel thoroughly pissed off because it has made them look like they lied to ASLEF.”
City Hall has not been able to say where Khan was able to find the extra cash.
Details are expected to emerge next week when the London Mayor publishes his draft budget.
Commuters were handed a temporary boost on Sunday after industrial action was called off at the eleventh hour.
General secretary Mick Lynch joins striking RMT members attending their picket line
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However, the situation could spell further problems in the weeks and months ahead.
Finn Brennan, ASLEF’s London organiser, said: “It means negotiations start afresh and, as there is more money on the table, we now want our original cliam for an RPI+ pay rise of around 12 per cent (based on last February’s RPI rate) and a cut in working hours to be met in full.”
A union source, who warned more strikes will hit the capital ahead of May’s mayoral election, added: “It has poisoned industrial relations.”
Further strike action could come as a hammer blow to Khan ahead of polling day on May 2.
Conservative challenger Susan Hall blasted the London Mayor over the situation.
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A group of rail workers stand on a picket line outside Euston rail station
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She said: “Sadiq Khan is clearly very worried about his election prospects if he’s willing to throw taxpayers’ money at the unions to delay these strikes.”
Hall also pledged to push forward a “firm but fair approach to the unions, securing the best deal for commuters, taxpayers and workers”.
Despite a number of issues threatening Khan’s popularity, the former Tooting MP is expected to romp to victory come polling day.
A Find Out Now survey conducted in November gave the London Mayor 46 per cent of the vote, with Hall languishing behind in a distant second on just 25 per cent.
Susan HallGREATER LONDON AUTHORITYResponding to Khan’s decision to hand over extra cash, the RMT told members: “City Hall has promised £30 million additional funding for our 2023 pay round in return for RMT suspending the rest of our strike action this week.
“The final offer is no more; pay talks will now be reopened to formulate a much-improved new offer.
“Make no mistake, £30 million is a significant increase that will allow us to address the key issues raised by RMT.
“We will now seek to conclude negotiations as soon as possible and to resolve the issues of help for the lowest paid and the failure to inflate the bands as a priority.”
