The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations could face 'significant disruptions', as London Underground workers threaten to strike during the June bank holiday weekend.
- The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations are at risk of major disruptions as Tube staff threaten to strike over bullying allegations on the second day of the Bank Holiday weekend.
- A day-long strike at the London Underground stations, Euston and Green Park, has been confirmed by the RMT for Friday, June 3.
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If you're relying on public transport to attend the Queen's Platinum Jubilee events in London next month, you might want to make a Plan B.
A day-long strike at the Tube stations, Euston and Green Park, has been announced by the RMT (National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers) for Friday, June 3, following a dispute over bullying and accusations of a 'toxic work environment'.
The cancellations, which will affect the Victoria, Jubilee, and Piccadilly line services, fall on the second day of the extended Bank Holiday weekend in honor of Her Majesty's 70-year-long reign. Excitement for the festivities is already heating up, with Jubilee decorations popping up across the UK ahead of the historic occasion.
A lack of staff at Euston and Green Park, both of which are key interchanges for people on route to the celebrations, will cause inevitable headaches for both tourists and regular commuters in London at this time.
A National Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen is scheduled to take place at St Paul’s Cathedral on the Friday, ahead of Saturday's Platinum Party at the Palace at Buckingham Palace.
While the Anglican Church ceremony is a closed event, the concert is public and anticipates crowds of up to 22,000 people - many of whom will be traveling into the capital for the weekend. Any interruption to Tube lines before the event, especially those that service Central London, is bound to have a knock-on effect.
In a statement to the media, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said, "Staff at Euston and Green Park tube have suffered years of sustained bullying and intimidation by a manager who has created a toxic working environment."
He added that their attempts to reason with management have failed, accusing bosses of refusing to "let local representatives be part of a review into dismissals at the stations, instigated by the manager in question."
The trade unionist warned that the strike "will cause significant disruption to people wishing to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee", but promised to find a "just resolution" if "Tube bosses do the right thing, and deal appropriately with the manager in question."
It's understood that TfL (Transport for London) is currently investigating the bullying accusations and has urged RMT to call off the strikes.
"Despite the planned strike action, we expect to keep both Green Park and Euston stations open and ensure there is no disruption to our customers – something we know is especially important during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations," a TfL spokesperson said.
"The remaining 270 London Underground stations will be unaffected and open as usual. This industrial action is designed to target a weekend of important celebrations and we’re urging the RMT to call off this action and continue talks instead."
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