The RMT Union has announced a week-long period of strike action on the London Underground from 5 September.
Staff at different grades will be taking industrial action at different times as part of rolling action.
This is the first Tube strike action in 19 months and is set to cause major disruption.
This is especially so because, in a separate dispute over pay and conditions, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) staff will also strike over the same period.
Why Strike?
The RMT says this follows unresolved concerns over pay, fatigue management, extreme shift patterns, and proposals on a reduction in the working week.
“Fatigue and extreme shift rotations are serious issues impacting on our members health and wellbeing – all of which have not been adequately addressed for years by LU management.”
Equally, pay is a significant factor in the decision to strike. A Transport for London (TfL) spokesperson said:
“We urge the RMT to put our fair, affordable pay offer to their members and to continue to engage with us.”
The RMT has accused management of being ‘dismissive’ and provoking ‘anger’ and “distrust” within the network.
Meanwhile, a TfL spokesperson said:
“We are committed to ensuring our colleagues are treated fairly and, as well as offering a 3.4% pay increase in our ongoing pay discussions, we have made progress on a number of commitments we have made previously.
“We welcome further engagement with our unions about fatigue and rostering across London Underground, but a reduction in the contractual 35-hour working week is neither practical nor affordable.”
How Will This Affect Me?
Not only is this a commuter’s worst nightmare, but it also makes getting to campus on time trickier for students at King’s, just as the new academic year gets underway.
Worried about getting around? Here’s what we know so far:
- Friday 5 September to Sunday 7 September: Walkouts from 6pm (Fri) to 5.59pm (Sun).
- Sunday 7 September: Strikes between 12.01am to 11.59pm.
- Monday 8 September: All fleet (except engineering vehicles operations, maintenance, and Emergency Response Unit (ERU)), plus engineering, stations and trains members, will walk out from 12.01am to 11.59pm.
- Tuesday 9 September: Strikes between 12.01am and 11.59pm.
- Wednesday 10 September: All fleet (except engineering vehicles operations and maintenance and ERU), plus engineering, stations and trains members, will walk out from 12.01am to 11.59pm.
- Thursday 11 September: Strikes between 12.01am and 11.59pm.
The best recommendation is to seek other modes of transport during these periods.
If you are heading to watch Coldplay at Wembley Stadium on 7 or 8 September, expect potential disruption to journeys. The extent is uncertain, so plan ahead.
There is no industrial action planned on Overground lines.
TfL will confirm live service levels nearer the time. Roar will update this piece as further details emerge.
