London subway staff to get extra Olympics pay

LONDON – A deal has been reached for London subway staff to get extra pay for working during the Olympics, union leaders said Tuesday.

The Rail Maritime and Transport Union said there will be reward packages of up to 850 pounds ($1,330) for staff in recognition of the "massive additional pressures" they will face during the games, which run from July 27 to Aug. 12.

Transport for London, which operates the subway, said those packages were "subject to attendance, customer satisfaction scores and working flexibly for defined periods in order to deliver a successful games."

It welcomed the deal, saying it means the subway will be ready to handle the higher traffic demands it will face during the Olympics. During normal times, London struggles to handle 12 million trips a day on the Tube. The Olympics is estimated to add 3 million more trips on the busiest days.

The union's general secretary, Bob Crow, said the deal protects members' rights and rewards them for "the biggest transport challenge" ever faced by London.

The famed London Underground plans to run extra trains during the games and keep them running later than usual to give Olympic visitors time to see the events and travel around London.