London Tube strikes: What you need to know

1 day ago

Harry LowLondon

There were two Tube strikes in April and another on Tuesday

BBC/Harry Low Metal shutters drawn across 'station closed due to strike' sign — There were two Tube strikes in April and another on Tuesday

London Underground drivers are due to walk out on Thursday after talks to avert industrial action failed.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union walked out on Tuesday after voting to oppose the voluntary introduction of a four-day working week with condensed hours.

Roughly half of Tube drivers - including those with the Aslef union - will turn up to work having accepted the proposals, labelling them "exactly the sort of deal every trade union should be trying to achieve".

Industrial action on 19 and 21 May and 16 and 18 June was shelved following last-ditch talks.

When is the Tube strike?

Thursday 4 June 00:01 - 23:59 BST

How much disruption is expected?

Transport for London (TfL) said it hoped to run as many trains as possible, with disruption on the following routes:

No service is expected on the Circle and Piccadilly lines
No trains on Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate
No Central line service between White City and Liverpool Street

TfL said it expected to run services on these Tube lines:

Bakerloo, District, Hammersmith and City, Jubilee, Northern, Victoria and Waterloo and City

Graphic showing London Underground strike disruption by day and time. Tuesday 2 June and Thursday 4 June show strike action with significant disruption across morning, late morning, early afternoon, and evening. Wednesday 3 June and Friday 5 June show normal service throughout the day. The Circle, Piccadilly, Metropolitan and Central lines are affected, with additional notes that parts of the Metropolitan (Baker Street to Aldgate) and Central (White City to Liverpool Street) lines are impacted, while other Tube lines, DLR, Overground and trams run normally.

Services will start late and finish early, TfL says, with no service before 06:30 BST or after 21:00. Some disruption is expected on the morning of 5 June.

Buses, London Overground, Elizabeth line, DLR and tram services will continue to run but are expected to be much busier than usual.

Only drivers belonging to the RMT union are due to walk out - that is roughly half the total number of drivers on the network.

Aslef's participation in last year's strike, alongside the RMT, halted almost all Underground services.

What is the strike about?

The RMT union rejected an offer for drivers to voluntarily work a four-day week.

Under the proposals, most drivers would see their working week reduced from 36 hours to 35 hours. Their contractual hours would remain the same because paid meal breaks would be introduced.

This effectively means drivers would work longer days, but fewer days each week and fewer overall hours each week.

The RMT union said the working day would be too long under the plans, risking driver fatigue and compromising safety.

The union instead wants a 32-hour week over four days, meaning drivers would work three fewer hours each week for the same salary.

Londoners turned to two wheels to get around during September's strike

BBC/Harry Low Cyclists, including Lime Bike users, wait at a red traffic light as pedestrians walk past — Londoners turned to two wheels to get around during September's strike

TfL said drivers could remain on a five-day week if they wanted to, pointing out that the change was voluntary.

A spokesperson for Aslef, the union representing a slightly higher share of Tube drivers, previously said they were "surprised that the RMT has decided to take this action".

Aslef has agreed to the voluntary compressed four-day week, saying it gives participating drivers an extra 35 days off a year "in return for some fairly minor changes to working conditions".

"It will be the first strike in the history of the trade union movement designed to stop people having a shorter working week and more time off," Aslef's spokesperson added.

An RMT spokesperson said: "We have a different perspective from Aslef."

Could the strikes be called off?

No - they will go ahead, as planned, after last-ditch talks failed.

Last week, the union said TfL had refused to "engage meaningfully" on members' concerns, such as fatigue and longer shifts.

In a statement on Monday, an RMT spokesperson said: "Despite our best efforts in [conciliation service] ACAS talks, TfL have failed to provide assurances on our members deeply held concerns around fatigue, reduced flexibility, shift lengths and the impact these proposals could have in a safety-critical role like tube driving.

"We remain available for meaningful talks, but strike action will now go ahead."

September's Tube strike pushed up demand for services like the Elizabeth line

PA Media Commuters clutch their umbrellas as they huddle into one of the capital's few open stations in Farringdon on the Elizabeth line during April's strikes. — September's Tube strike pushed up demand for services like the Elizabeth line

A TfL spokesperson apologised to customers during the strike on Tuesday, but added that by 06:00 BST, 60% of drivers had turned up to work - more than in previous strikes.

The mayor of London said that the Tube strikes had a "serious impact on Londoners, businesses and commuters" and called for talks between TfL and RMT to resume.

London Underground drivers also went on strike in September in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The industrial action caused severe disruption across the capital's transport network, with many Londoners getting around by e-bike instead.

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