THOUSANDS of Tube staff have voted to strike in an action likely to bring the entire Underground to a standstill.

Three quarters of the 3,000 workers who took part in the ballot by the Maritime and Transport (RMT) union backed the walk-out, likely to take place by the end of this month.

About half of the RMT's 6,500 station staff and drivers members voted, with 705 people against the action.

The two sides are accusing one another of not keeping their side of a three-year pay deal agreed almost a year ago.

The RMT accuses London Underground (LU) of failing to pay the first 4% pay rise, which was due last April.

In return for the pay offer, LU wants the RMT's agreement to run the Tube half an hour later on Friday and Saturday nights from May.

On February 6, after ten months of unsuccessful talks, mayor Ken Livingstone said he was forced to put the plan on hold.

The RMT is the last major Tube union that still rejects the deal. The train driver's union Aslef finally advised their members to accept it on Friday - a move welcomed by LU.

Two other unions, the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) and the British Transport Officers' Guild (BTOG), have backed it earlier.

Geoff Pope, chair of the London Assembly transport committee, said the RMT was "trigger happy" at ordering strikes.

"Aslef has agreed terms, so it is unacceptable that the RMT union is effectively holding London's commuters to ransom over this pay deal."

Nevertheless RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "There is widespread anger among our members over LU's refusal to give them the 10 months' back-pay they are owed.

"But management continue to insist on withholding it."

He added that LU had "continued to insist" upon linking the pay deal with "productivity strings" like the late-running Tube. "It was only after RMT's ballot commenced that those strings were finally removed."

An LU spokesman said its pay offer was "very fair". It includes a 4% increase in the first year, above inflation increases in the second and third years and cash bonuses for all staff if customer satisfaction targets were met.

In exchange for the late half hour on Fridays and Saturdays, staff was also offered three days extra holiday.

"We remain ready to continue discussions with the RMT," an LU spokesman said. "We seek agreement on this fair offer, so all Tube staff can receive the pay increases as soon as possible."