A planned three-day Tube strike which was set to cripple London’s transport network has been suspended.
The RMT union confirmed the planned walkout — which was set to start today evening — had been suspended after talks with London Underground.
Millions of Tube commuters were due to be hit by the strike from 6pm today.
The walkout was due to last until 10am tomorrow before staff went on strike again from 10am on Tuesday until 1am on Wednesday.
The strike threat came amid a bitter row over job cuts and ticket office closures.
The RMT said that following talks with London Underground bosses at conciliation service Acas, almost 60% of the original job cuts have now been reversed.
Station staff jobs were cut by around 900 and Tube ticket offices closed under previous London mayor Boris Johnson.
The RMT said its campaign, including industrial action, had led to 533 jobs being reinstated, and control rooms being reopened.
They argued the job cuts raised major safety issues in running the network used by more than four mn people a day – claims London Underground denied.
General secretary Mick Cash said: “The fighting stance taken by RMT members since the jobs cull on our Tube stations was first announced has reversed nearly 60 per cent of those savage cuts.
“That is a tremendous victory and a reflection of the resilience and determination of our reps and the membership right across London Underground.
“We will now continue to work on implementation of the new staffing arrangements at the local level and, as always, RMT remains eternally vigilant.”
The TSSA union had previously called off the strike after reaching an agreement.
Steve Griffiths, Chief Operating Officer for London Underground, said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with both unions and we welcome the RMT’s decision to suspend the strike action planned for next week.
“We agree that we need more staff in our stations and we will be recruiting at least 650 new station staff this year, of which 325 will be additional new roles.
“The remainder will comprise supervisor and customer service assistant roles and are expected to be a mix of both full time and part time.
“We will continue working with the unions as well as implementing the independent recommendations made by the London TravelWatch review to help meet the needs of our customers.”
Conservative London assembly member Keith Prince was critical of the agreement, saying: “Of course it’s good news that the strikes are off, but if the RMT’s statement is true then Sadiq Khan has caved in and bought off the RMT by spending tens of millions of pounds on unnecessary jobs.
“Plus he has shown the RMT and the TSSA that they can get their way by striking and threatening to strike.
“That will only encourage more strikes in the future.”
The walkout would have involved more than 3,000 RMT members, and seen most Zone 1 stations shut or opening and closing at short notice throughout the course of the strike.
London’s busiest stations – including Victoria, Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus – were all set to be affected, with entire sections of the Victoria, Central, Piccadilly, Northern and Bakerloo lines set to close during the morning commute tomorrow.
Acas deputy chief conciliator John Woods added: “Acas would like to thank the teams of London Underground, RMT and TSSA for their patience and perseverance these past six weeks in helping resolve this very complex dispute.
l Fresh talks are to be held in a bid to resolve a long-running row over the role of conductors on Southern Railway.
The RMT union accepted an invitation from Southern’s owners Govia Thameslink Railway to meet next week.
The development followed a deal between the company and Aslef over driver-only trains.
The RMT remains angry at being left out of the Aslef meeting, which was held more than 11 days under the co-chairmanship of the TUC.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said in a message to union members: “I can confirm that we are aware that talks between GTR and our sister union has concluded and an agreement has been reached subject to their members’ approval and endorsement.
“Unfortunately, we have not received the full details of this agreement and are therefore unable to make any further judgment on this matter.
“Southern GTR has agreed to meet this union over the issues at the heart of this dispute and I have written to the company seeking available dates, which will hopefully commence early next week.
“Additionally, I will be asking the company for a copy of the agreement between Southern GTR and our sister union and asking for information on any additional proposals the company intend to present at our talks.”
Cash added: “We have expressed our dismay and dissatisfaction at the TUC’s approach in this dispute and made it clear that we object to their exclusion of this union from the talks at the TUC between the company and our sister union.”
Aslef members will be balloted on whether to accept the deal, with the result due on February 16.
The unions have held a series of strikes in recent months which crippled Southern’s services.
The company has also been hit by staff shortages and other problems.
Sadiq Khan said he is “delighted” that a looming three-day Tube strike which was set to bring major travel disruption to the capital has been called off.
The London Mayor said the unions and Tube chiefs have agreed an “excellent deal” after last-minute peace talks were held on Friday.
The mayor of London said in a statement on Friday afternoon: “Delighted we have been able to get the tube strikes suspended.”
Londoners had been braced for major travel problems during the walkout.
