Strike hits London Underground

LONDON, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Transportation workers striking against layoffs disrupted rail service in London Monday, triggering a harsh rebuke from Mayor Boris Johnson.

Johnson said the strike, which managed to shut down 11 subway routes, was "absurd, outrageous and wrong."

Johnson said the strike had little to do "with the terms and conditions of their members, and everything to do with a political attack on the coalition government and, to a lesser extent, on City Hall," The Financial Times reported.

The 24-hour strike to protest an proposal to cut 800 union jobs, was scheduled to end at 7 pm. In the meantime, "we are doing everything we can to run as many tube services as possible and although Londoners will doubtless face some disruption getting to work, 75 percent of stations are open and 30 percent of tube trains are running," said Howard Collins, chief operating officer for the London Underground.

"The paralysis of London predicted by the leadership of the two unions has failed to materialize," he said.

Additional worker actions were scheduled for Nov. 2 and 28, The Financial Times said.