Rail union calls 24-hour London underground strike over night shifts

LONDON (Reuters) - Train drivers' union ASLEF said on Thursday it had called a 24-hour strike on the London underground network, raising the prospect of travel gridlock in the British capital next month. The strike, over plans to introduce more evening and weekend working as all-night services are introduced from September, will run from 2030 GMT on Wednesday 8 July. The traditionally moderate union said 97 percent of those who voted in a ballot in which turnout was 81 percent had opted for a strike. Some 80 percent of drivers on the London "tube" network, used by up to four million passengers a day, belong to ASLEF. Finn Brennan, the union's district organiser, called for more talks. "There is a window of opportunity for London Underground managers to avoid a summer of disruption by seriously engaging with us to find a solution," he said in a statement. "They need to withdraw the threat to impose new rosters and make a realistic offer on pay and conditions. "Our members are entitled to a family life and to some sort of work/life balance," he added. "We aren’t opposed to all-night services, but we want them introduced in a fair and sensible way ..." Two other unions, the RMT and TSSA, are also balloting their members for strikes, with results due later this month. Steve Griffiths, London Underground's Chief Operating Officer, said in a statement: "There is simply no reason to threaten Londoners with strike action. "We also want to minimise the impact of the Night Tube on our people, and compensate those it will affect most. But pay levels for our staff are already fair, and any increase must be sustainable." The current tube driver salary is almost 50,000 pounds ($79,400), nearly 15,000 pounds more than the average London salary, he noted. Drivers typically work a 36 hour week, and have 43 days of leave every year, he added. (Reporting by Stephen Addison; editing by Kate Holton)