The women are being told to go to the pub to use the toilet

Bob Crowe

London Underground (LU) has admitted that some women's toilets there are inadequate.

Both the RMT and the train drivers' union, Aslef, are in talks with LU at the conciliation service Acas.

The unions intend to ballot their members next month over industrial action if a satisfactory conclusion to the complaints are not reached.

Among the unions' demands are a request for a boiler which LU say would waste energy.

Previous strikes have caused chaos in the capital

Workers have been offered kettles, free teabags and coffee as an alternative.

On the toilets, Mr Crow said that women workers were deprived of proper facilities.

"LU agreed there would be adequate facilities for drivers when they book on and off. The women are being told to go to the pub to use the toilet," he said.

"There are no proper facilities for washing their hands. It is prehistoric.

"We do not think that in today's age men and women should have to share the same toilet and that there are no proper facilities for women."

Impossible deadline

LU have said that meeting the union's 1 September deadline was impossible although the company remained determined to provide better remote facilities.

A survey of the female train operator toilets had found that some were inadequate, LU said.

"We acknowledge that in some circumstances, the facilities are not good enough," a spokeswoman said.

"We have every intention of improving them as soon as practically possible.

"They want a boiler which, despite only being used for a couple of hours each shift, would have to be left switched on for a whole day, which goes against our need to be an energy efficient company. We've offered kettles and free tea bags and coffee."

LU said that agreed upgrades to facilities will include a reasonable number of lockers, another of the unions' demands, appropriate notice boards to publish safety and other information and a manager or supervisor on duty to book people on, LU said.