Bob Crow pledges more Tube strikes

The union, which yesterday finished its most recent 48 hour strike, walked out after a deal meant to solve a dispute over pay and jobs collapsed.

Mr Crow warned that if the dispute was not solved the strikes would continue. Speaking from a picket line during the strike on Thursday Mr Crow said, "If we don't make progress and come to an agreement with Transport for London, then we will definitely strike again," reports Times Online.

"It won't be next week as you have to give seven days' [legal] notice but it could be as soon as the week after."

Mr Crow said that the strike was "a solid success," saying that, "The whole city ground to a halt and the disruption it caused was all over the papers."

Despite these claims Transport for London was still able to offer a limited service as around half of London Underground workers, many from the rival Aslef union, broke the picket lines and went to work.

The RMT has accused London Mayor Boris Johnson and Transport for London of scuppering an agreed deal at the last minute on Tuesday just before the strike began. Both Mr Johnson and TfL have denied the claims as "nonsense" and instead have said that the RMT destroyed the hopes of a deal by demanding "out of the blue" the reinstatement of two sacked workers.

Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone also got involved in the debate saying that Mr Johnson had not done enough to build relationships with the RMT leadership and had failed to fulfill the "no-strike" deal that he pledged in his election campaign.

Should Mr Crow and the RMT go ahead with more strikes it could cost London severely, it is already estimated that London has lost around £85 million as a result of the strike.

London restaurants alone are estimated to have lost 65% per cent of their business during the days of the strike. One restaurant owner speaking to IBTimes said, "a strike once a year is OK, but if another strike happens soon, it is really bad for our business."