Tube strikes throw London into havoc
London Underground lines were suspended on Monday (8 September) as members of the Rail, Maritime & Transport union launched a series of strikes over pay and conditions.
While the strikes officially started over the weekend, the effect of he industrial action will be more keenly felt today and later this week as millions of people struggle to get to work, school, and return from summer holidays.
Transport for London (TfL) has cautioned that services will be extremely limited – or may not run at all – between Monday and Thursday.
On Monday, picket lines appeared outside Underground stations as strike action began. In addition, the Docklands Light Railway is expected to shut down on Tuesday and Thursday due to a separate dispute involving RMT members over pay.
TfL said it has proposed a 3.4% wage increase, calling the offer reasonable, but added that it cannot meet the union’s demand for shorter working hours.
Some bus services in west, northwest, and southwest London may be impacted by separate strike action on Friday – Sunday (12-14 September). Other TfL services – including the Elizabeth line, London Overground and Trams – will be running, but will be extremely busy and may operate differently.
“We call on the RMT to suspend this action, put our fair and affordable offer to their members, and continue discussions with us. Our pay deal is in line with other offers accepted by the RMT across the rail industry, so it is disappointing the RMT is planning to disrupt Londoners without giving their members a say on the offer,” said Claire Mann (TfL’s Chief Operating Officer).
“We remain open for discussions about any part of our offer, and we are committed to making sure our colleagues are treated fairly. We welcome further engagement from all of our unions about managing fatigue across the network, but a reduction in the contractual 35-hour working week is neither practical nor affordable.”
