UK: Tube strike called off

A strike planned by London Underground workers in a row over safety, which would have caused chaos for soccer fans and commuters, has been called off, unions in the UK announced today.

Thousands of station staff and other Tube workers were due to walk out for 72 hours from Sunday evening after voting for industrial action in protest at station closures and the use of agency employees.

The strike would have crippled Tube services and caused chaos for tens of thousands of football fans attending Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final between Cardiff City and Barnsley at Wembley Stadium.

Talks between leaders of the Rail Maritime and Transport Union, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association and London Underground managers in the past few days broke the deadlocked row.

The unions said they had received guarantees on a raft of safety and staffing issues, including a halt to station closures.