Tube officials launch talks with union bosses

London: Talks to try to prevent further Tube strikes began on Friday at Acas, the conciliation service.

Both Tube and union bosses say they are ready for 'positive' negotiations.

However, Bob Crow, leader of the RMT union, which staged last week's 48-hour stoppage, warned there would be more strikes if agreement was not reached.

The union must, by law, give seven days' notice of any industrial action meaning there will be no strike action next week.

Crow said yesterday: "We are going in on a positive note." He labelled the two-day strike a "fantastic success. Not a single line was running properly".

The union ordered the walkout by up to 10,000 of its members, including train drivers and station staff, in a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and working conditions.

Mayor Boris Johnson has ordered 1,000 jobs be cut at London Underground and hundreds more at Transport for London though senior sources say the 'real' figure of jobs lost will be nearer 3,000. The cuts, say management, are a result of having been forced to take over the 7,000 staff from Metronet, the failed maintenance giant which went bust last year.