(MENAFN- Gulf Times) London Underground drivers from one union are prepared to work during the next Tube strike, it was announced yesterday.
Aslef members will not be joining two fresh rounds of industrial action over the Night Tube dispute later this month, sources at the union said.
It could mean some services will be in operation during the upcoming planned strikes, but Transport for London was unable to confirm this would be the case.
The announcement came as it emerged the September 12 launch date for the Night Tube was expected to be delayed, according to sources, although TfL said it was still working to the timetable and was operationally ready.
Under the changes, services on the Victoria, Jubilee and parts of the Northern, Piccadilly and Central will run all night on Fridays and Saturdays.
Yesterday the RMT union said its members would strike on two separate days in one week later this month, threatening to cause chaos over four consecutive days.
Workers are set to walk-out from 9pm on August 25 and the same time on August 27.
The action has been called as part of a dispute with London Underground bosses over the implementation of all-night services.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "Our members the length and breadth of London Underground have made it clear that they are determined to protect their work/life balance and not fall into a trap where they will be forced to wreck their home lives in order to comply with the 'rosters from hell' which have been drawn up to plug the staffing gaps in the Night Tube plans."
But today transport bosses claimed that passengers would face a 6.5% hike in fares if it conceded to union demands.
TfL said it had calculated it would cost £1.4bn to implement proposals, which include a call for the reinstatement of 800 axed station staff that the transport body dismissed as "just mad".
It said back-tracking threatened the upgrade of the Piccadilly and Central lines and the rebuilding of overcrowded stations such as Camden Town and Holborn.
Talks were held today at the conciliation service Acas in a bid to break the deadlocked row, and a further meeting between Aslef and LU is expected later this week.
Members of the RMT, TSSA and Unite unions are due to take part in the new strikes in the run-up to the August Bank Holiday. TSSA and Unite members will walk out three hours earlier - at 6.30pm.
Aslef held off making any announcement on strikes until yesterday's resumed talks, and sources said it had been decided the union would not be taking part in the new stoppages.
Two-thirds of the National Gallery could be shut for the foreseeable future as workers began a long-term strike over privatisation plans.
Picket lines were set up in Trafalgar Square by staff who say services at the gallery - including security - are being unnecessarily tendered out to private firms.
A previous rally in the row drew support from the likes of director Ken Loach, and artists Grayson Perry and Mark Wallinger have also publicly sided with the workers.
The latest round of action coincides with new gallery director Gabriele Finaldi's first week at the helm. Mr Finaldi was appointed in March to take over from Nicholas Penny.
Gallery bosses say privatising some services is necessary to help them extend opening hours.
Labour leadership contender Jeremy Corby urged the incoming director to seek to resolve the dispute.
"National Gallery workers have been forced to take this action because of the intransigence of management," he said. "These low-paid workers are proud public servants and don't want their jobs sold off.
"The management of the National Gallery must call off plans to privatise the staff who look after our cultural assets."
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "We had asked the new director to step in to resolve this dispute before taking over but now his first week will be greeted by a continuous strike. We remain ready to negotiate.
"We do not believe this privatisation is in any way necessary and we fear for the reputation the gallery rightly enjoys around the world as one of our country's greatest cultural assets."
The gallery says no jobs will be lost.
All four main exhibitions are open today but visitors will only be able to get in to a handful of the remaining rooms - about a third of the gallery in total, according to a spokeswoman.
The gallery said in a statement: "The PCS opposes the introduction of new working practices for some visitor facing and security staff that would enable us to operate more flexibly and deliver an enhanced service to our six million annual visitors. The National Gallery is a public asset and has a duty to ensure the collection and the gallery itself is accessible as much as possible, to as many people as possible."
It accused the PCS of "refusing to compromise" following a year of negotiations.
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