BARNET commuters are bracing themselves for transport chaos after Tube workers announced two 48-hour strikes over pay and conditions.

The Rail Maritime and Transport Workers union (RMT) will stage the walkouts on Wednesday, June 23, the day England play Slovakiaand Wednesday, July 14, both starting at 7pm and lasting two days.

The Northern Line and Piccadilly Lines are expected to be the worst hit by the action, affecting people using the borough's 13 stations.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said the workers had not been assured their jobs were safe in the light of the takeover of maintenance firm Tube Lines by Transport for London.

Mr Crow said: “We have given TfL, and their newly-acquired subsidiary Tube Lines, plenty of opportunity to give us assurances staff won’t take the hit for the failure of the doomed privatisation project.

“They have failed to give us those assurances leaving us with absolutely no option but to announce these strike dates to protect both our members and the safety of the travelling public.”

The RMT said the members voted in favour of a strike by a margin of nine to one, and argued maintenance work was already being cut, warning of “dire consequences” if the cuts continued.

Transport for London is due to complete the takeover of Tube Lines by the end of July, bringing back in-house the maintenance of the underground rail network.

Earlier today Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced planned closures from July 5 would see the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line shut at 9.30pm Monday to Thursday for improvement works.