At least 1,000 jobs will be cut on the London Underground this year due to the recession, it has emerged.
Transport for London (TfL), the tube's parent company, said the job losses would be in backroom offices, with no front-line staff set to be affected.
But union bosses have already warned they will ballot members over strike action if compulsory redundancies take place.
"Once again it seems if you are a banker you get protection, but if you are part of a team providing a public service you don't," said RMT general secretary Bob Crow.
"There is no way that London's transport workers should be made to pay for the failure of the bankers and privateers whose greed has created the crisis our economy is now in."
TfL, which itself is rumoured to be planning further job losses in their hundreds, said the job cuts on London Underground would be carried out via not filling vacancies and cutting temporary posts in finance, IT, legal and admin departments.
The company employs about 20,000 workers, including 7,000 former Metronet members of staff.
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