Tube strikes to go ahead if last-ditch talks fail

April’s Tube strike meant half of services did not run

Two 24-hour Tube strikes are due to go ahead on Tuesday and Thursday after an agreement could not be reached over the voluntary introduction of a four-day week with condensed hours.

Drivers from the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are due to walk out over Transport for London’s (TfL) “continued refusal to engage meaningfully with the union’s concerns over the proposed compressed four-day working arrangements”.

TfL branded the strikes as “disappointing” but said talks to avert a walkout were planned for Monday.

It hopes to run at least half of Tube services, but the Circle and Piccadilly lines will not run nor will the Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate.

The Central line will be suspended between White City and Liverpool Street.

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 mornings of 3 and 5 June.

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

Roughly half of drivers, mostly staff from the Aslef drivers’ union, will turn up to work, having labelled the proposals “exactly the sort of deal every trade union should be trying to achieve”.

Aslef says the voluntary compressed four-day week gives participating drivers an extra 35 days off a year “in return for some fairly minor changes to working conditions”.

‘Serious concerns’

After cancelling another wave of strikes on 18 May, RMT said TfL had “shifted its position”, allowing it to “explore our members concerns” about the new rosters.

But in a statement on Friday, it said: “Our members have raised serious concerns around fatigue, longer shifts, reduced flexibility and the impact these proposals could have in a safety-critical role.

“RMT remains available for meaningful talks, but London Underground cannot push ahead with changes to drivers’ working conditions while refusing to properly address legitimate safety and workplace concerns.”

Claire Mann, TfL’s chief operating officer, said the “completely voluntary” four-day week had been designed to “improve work-life balance”.

“Any of our Tube drivers who do not wish to take up the new proposed way of working and associated changes to working arrangements can remain on a five-day working pattern,” she said.

“A significant number of drivers have indicated that they want us to progress plans for the pilot of this new working pattern on the Bakerloo line, bringing benefits both for our colleagues and our customers.”