Hospitality chief urges talks to avert wave of Tube strikes

Hospitality industry bosses are urging trade unions to abandon a wave of London Underground strikes, warning they will put jobs at risk and businesses at risk of collapse.

Sky News has seen a letter sent by Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, calling on City Hall and the ASLEF and RMT unions to negotiate a deal which averts the strikes due to get underway this week.

Transport for London has said that if the strikes proceed, Underground services will be affected for ten days, until November 13.

Unions have called the strikes amid what they say are inadequate pay and working conditions for Tube drivers and other staff working on the network.

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In her letter, which was sent to ASLEF boss Mick Whelan, Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, and Seb Dance, deputy mayor for transport, Ms Nicholls said previous strikes had cost the economy up to £50m-per-day.

"In London, many businesses expect to make up to 40% of their annual revenues in November and December.

"These seasonal events are much more sensitive to strikes.

"A strike cancelled at the last moment will probably be too late to stop the negative impact."

She went on to say: "Businesses which were banking on Christmas income will risk closing down, shedding jobs.

"It goes without saying that the jobs at risk are disproportionately held by young people, part-time workers, lower earners, women, people of colour and others whom we would otherwise wish to protect from economic harm."

Negotiations about the latest TfL offer were due to continue on Monday.