LONDON Underground management will today hold emergency talks with staff unions in a last-ditch bid to stop Thursday's planned strike action.

Earlier this month drivers from the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union voted by a margin of six to one in favour of strike action.

While members of sister union, ASLEF, voted by four to one in favour of industrial action.

Last week union members including signal and station staff voted by a margin of almost two to one to back this Thursday's strike.

The dispute is over policy issues ranging from harassment and discipline to health and safety.

An earlier strike planned for February 21 was cancelled after progress was made in talks between the warring parties.

"We are due to talk again with London Underground on Monday morning, and we hope that the progress made in last week's talks can be built on," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said.

"However, should it become necessary for us to schedule further action the RMT executive has already made it clear that it will discuss how best to co-ordinate action by all those now involved in the dispute."

An LU spokesman said he hoped that both unions would resolve any issues through discussion.

London Assembly Transport Committee chairman Roger Evans said it was outrageous that the votes of just 400 RMT members condemned London commuters to another day misery.

"Inflicting transport chaos on millions of Londoners who have just been asked to dig even deeper in their pockets to use the underground is adding insult to injury," he said.