Piccadilly Line strike: Drivers to begin 48-hour walkout Published duration 25 September 2018 Related Topics London tube strikes

image copyright PA image caption The strikes will affect travel on the Piccadilly Line this week

Strikes on a London Tube line serving Heathrow Airport are set to go ahead after talks collapsed.

RMT union members on the Piccadilly Line will launch a 48-hour walkout from 12:00 BST on Wednesday and a five-hour strike from 20:30 on Friday.

Transport for London (TfL) warned there would be little or no service, including on the Night Tube on Friday.

Talks between the two sides at the conciliation service Acas ended without agreement.

The RMT said the dispute was over a "comprehensive breakdown in industrial relations, abuse of procedures and the reneging on key safety and operational improvements promised by management after previous ‎rounds of industrial action".

image caption RMT general secretary Mick Cash blamed Tube bosses for the collapse of the talks

The union's general secretary Mick Cash accused Tube bosses of "wrecking the planned ACAS talks by denying reality and refusing point blank to make serious progress on the core issues that have reduced industrial relations on the Piccadilly Line to a powder keg".

TfL's director of network operations for London Underground, Nigel Holness, said TfL "agreed steps with the RMT to solve this dispute" and has been making "good progress in making these changes".

He described the strike as "unnecessary" and urged the union to "reconsider this action, withdraw the strikes and spare Londoners and visitors to the city needless disruption".

The Piccadilly Line serves Heathrow Airport and carries about 500,000 passengers every day.

Drivers on the line were previously due to walk out in July but the action was suspended following last-minute talks.

Customers travelling between central London and Heathrow airport are advised that TfL Rail services will be available to and from London Paddington station every 30 minutes, while Heathrow Express services will also run normally.