Planned London Tube strike called off ahead of fresh talks

A planned strike on the London Underground's (LU) Victoria line next week was called off on Friday ahead of fresh talks between union bosses and LU.

The walkout by drivers was due to take place on Nov. 27-28, but the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union confirmed Friday it had suspended the action.

The RMT said it had made the decision "to allow for the issues at the heart of the dispute to be addressed in detail in further talks with London Underground," the London-based Evening Standard newspaper reported.

Tube union leaders ordered the 24-hour strike last Thursday, threatening that there would be more to come in the run-up to the Christmas holidays.

The strike was originally scheduled to take place in September but was suspended when the union believed it had reached a deal with LU.

The Victoria line, an RMT stronghold, is used by some 600,000 passengers a day.

RMT members are expected to take industrial action between Dec. 2 and New Year's Day, which will cause mass disruption across the Christmas period.

The only respite will be on general election day, which falls on Dec. 12, and on Christmas and Boxing Day, when no or very few trains run anyway.

If the December strike will go ahead as planned, more than 17,000 trains will be canceled.