Commuters face turmoil on the Tube after unions announced a fresh wave of strikes by London Underground workers. Drivers and staff will stage walkouts over a series of disputes, triggering disruption for millions of passengers. The RMT and the Aslef trade unions have both announced dates for industrial action. Read on for details about the strike action:
London Tube Strike Dates and Times
Strikes by the RMT and Aslef unions will run on various dates from Nov 1 until Nov 12. The disruption will begin to ramp up as RMT drivers walkout on Nov 5.
RMT Strike Dates
- November 1-2: Engineering vehicles operations and maintenance staff will strike from 6pm on Nov 1 until 5.59pm on Nov 2, with no overtime until Nov 8.
- November 3-4: Track access controllers, control centre, and power/control staff will strike from 6.59pm on Nov 3 to 6.59pm on Nov 4.
- November 4: Emergency Response Unit (ERU) staff will strike from 12.01am to 11.59pm.
- November 5: Fleet, engineering, stations, and trains staff (except ERU and engineering vehicles operations and maintenance) will strike from 12.01am to 11.59pm
- November 6-8: Signallers and service controllers will strike from 12.01am to 11.59pm on Nov 6, with further strikes on Nov 7 and 8.
Aslef Strike Dates
- November 1-2: Engineering drivers due to walk out for 24 hours from 6pm on Nov 1 until 11.59pm on Nov 2, with an overtime ban from 12.01am on Nov 1 to 11.59pm on Nov 8.
- November 3-16: Overtime ban from 12.01am on Nov 3 to 11.59pm on Nov 16 for management-grade staff.
- November 7: Train drivers, management-grade staff will strike. This is one of the most disrupted periods.
- November 12: Train drivers and management grades will strike. Another day when the impact of the strikes is expected to be severe.
Impact of the London Tube Strikes on Services
Transport for London said it is too soon to know exactly which lines will be impacted by the various strikes. However, a spokesman warned that it is very unlikely there will be many services running at all on the days when drivers are on strike – namely Nov 5, 7 and 12. TfL expects that it will still be able to operate the network on days when station staff are on strike, although some stations may be closed on those days. It expects to have a clearer picture of how services will be affected a week or so before the strike action takes place.
Reasons for the Strikes
The industrial action comes as the unions and Transport for London (TfL) bosses remain locked in a bitter pay dispute after rejecting recent pay offers. Aslef has said that its members have been “forced” into taking action.
Finn Brennan, Aslef’s full-time organiser on London Underground, said: “We don’t want to go on strike– we don’t want to make travelling in and around the capital more difficult for passengers and we don’t want to lose a day’s pay – but we have been forced into this position because LU management won’t sit down properly and negotiate with us.
“Our members voted by over 98% in favour of strike action, but Underground management are still refusing to even discuss key elements of our claim. They refuse to discuss any reduction in the working week or introducing paid meal relief to bring Underground drivers in line with those on the Elizabeth line and London Overground.”
RMT Union general secretary Mick Lynch added: “London Underground’s pay offer falls short of what our members deserve. It threatens to remove collective bargaining for a growing portion of staff, pushing them into pay bands that are decided solely by management. This undermines our members’ rights and the core principles of fair negotiation.
“No trade union can accept any pay proposal where management decide which of our members gets a pay rise and those who do not. We have repeatedly urged London Underground to offer a deal that ensures all staff are covered by collective bargaining, yet management remains fixated on imposing pay structures without our agreement.
“Our members have been left with no choice but to take strike action to defend their terms and conditions. We remain open to negotiations, but London Underground must come back to the table with a comprehensive, consolidated offer that respects the rights of all our members. Until then, our industrial action will continue as planned.”
TfL Response
A Transport for London spokesman said: “It is disappointing that Aslef and the RMT have announced industrial action following our recent discussions over pay, terms and conditions.
“We have held several constructive discussions with our trade unions and, after considering their feedback, have made a revised offer with an average uplift of 4.6pc which rewards our staff for their hard work and benefits the lowest-paid staff the most.
“We are engaging with our unions in good faith, having increased our offer since talks began, and have invited our unions to meet again next week.
“Our offer is fair for our people and affordable for London, and we urge our unions to continue working with us to support London and the wider economy.”
Planning Your Journey During the Strikes
TfL has said that it is expecting heavy disruption on November 3, November 5 until November 9, and again on November 12. The service will end earlier than normal on November 3, with TfL advising that journeys are completed by 5pm. Any services running on November 5, 6, 8 and 12 will start late and end early. There will be no Tube services on November 7, while services on November 9 will start late. Some services may be affected on November 10 and 11.
According to TfL, all lines on the Underground network may be subject to delays or cancellations due to the strikes. There may also be disruption on Overground services, DLR ad the Elizabeth line.
This disruption will only end when unions and the London Underground have reached an agreement. After more than two years of action, a deal is yet to be reached, so strikes are likely to keep happening for the foreseeable future.
Travel Alternatives
London buses, the Overground and other London train services like the Stansted, Gatwick and Heathrow Expresses will still be running. Just make sure to leave plenty of time for your journey as they are likely to be affected by heavier traffic and bigger crowds.
