THOUSANDS of London Underground staff are taking strike action against attempts to “bulldoze” safety agreements in the transport industry.

Maintenance and engineering staff have voted nine to one in favour of taking strike action over proposals to cut back on train preparation and inspection schedules.

The union says that these cutbacks could have a harsh impact on public safety and service reliability, and that they could trigger the system failures of passenger trains during service.

It says its warnings have been ignored by Underground management, which “failed to engage in any meaningful consultation” with workers.

The main demand of the workers is that these changes to schedules are stopped, unless a new plan is agreed between the RMT and senior management.

They are also demanding a full safety examination about fleet train preparations, and that management ensure that the frequency of train inspections is kept to an acceptable level.

The strike is scheduled to take place between Friday May 17 and Monday May 20 and is set to coincide with the FA cup final between Manchester City and Watford.

Staff are also taking different actions over risk assessments, a ban on lone working, a ban on working without valid licences and appropriate fire-safety staff being present.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “The nine to one ballot result showed just how angry Tube staff are at proposals London Underground are attempting to bulldoze through that would decimate the inspection and safety culture on the fleet.

“Our message is clear – London Underground should pull back immediately rather than crash on regardless of the consequences of their actions.”