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• Livingstone calls Tube strikes 'unreasonable'
• Tube strike latest: two unions drop out, RMT to go ahead

The first of two 72-hour strikes by more than 2,300 RMT members at troubled Tube maintenance firm Metronet is to go ahead from 6pm tonight, the RMT union said at 2.30pm today. The RMT confirmed in a statement that the company and its administrator failed to give the unequivocal guarantees on jobs, transfers and pensions that the union is seeking.

Two thirds of the London Underground (LU) network will not run if planned industrial action by members of the RMT, TSSA and Unite employed by Metronet goes ahead, LU said today. It will mean no service on the Central, Bakerloo, Victoria, Waterloo & City, District, Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and East London line on Tuesday 4, Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 September.  Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly line services, which are maintained by Tube Lines, should continue to operate, although they are likely to be very busy in consequence. Docklands Light Railway and London Buses will continue to operate as normal.

This evening, to ensure the safe operation of the network, it will be necessary to get trains back to depots before strike action commences. London Underground urged Tube passengers to complete their journeys by 5pm today, or seek alternative routes, as services on the affected lines will be winding down prior to the start of the strike action.

Massive disruption 

LU Chief Operating Officer, Mike Brown said: "The Mayor, as well as the Administrator and management of Metronet, have given the trades unions clear written assurances that meet all of their concerns, namely that there will be no job cuts or transfers as a result of the collapse of Metronet and no loss of pensions now or at any time in the future. We are still prepared to meet any reasonable requests and remain ready to meet with the unions throughout today. It is clearly unreasonable to proceed with a strike when all of the trades unions’ concerns have been met, and without the RMT informing us what they seek to achieve."

"If the unions press ahead with this strike action at Metronet, it will mean massive disruption for millions of Londoners, with two thirds of the tube network affected. We would urge customers to consider if their journey is absolutely necessary. If it is, we would advise they seek alternative routes of travel and to leave as much time as possible for their journeys around the capital."

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, and Transport for London, met representatives of the Metronet trade unions, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, TSSA and Unite on Thursday. At the meeting the Mayor outlined how he intends to proceed following the collapse of Metronet, and in relation to the concerns raised by the trade unions representing Metronet employees.