Transport for London (TfL) is urging customers to check before they travel ahead of planned strike action by RMT union members. TfL is working hard to resolve the dispute, with dialogue with the union ongoing, and will operate as many services as possible should strikes go ahead. TfL urges the union to put its fair, affordable pay offer to their members and call off this action.
Strike action affecting the London Underground has been called between Friday 5 September and Thursday 11 September. Should the strikes between Sunday 7 and Thursday 11 September go ahead, there is expected to be severe disruption – with little to no service on all London Underground lines between Monday 8 and Thursday 11 September, and limited services across the network on Sunday 7 September.
There is no expected impact from the strike action on customers’ journeys on London Underground services on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 September. With the impact of the strike varying each day, customers are advised to visit tfl.gov.uk/strikes for the latest information.
TfL is working hard to try to resolve the dispute with the RMT union. Since the ballot was undertaken, London Underground has offered a 3.4 per cent pay increase in the ongoing pay discussions. Members of the RMT at London Underground have not had a say on the final pay offer, with the 3.4 per cent pay increase a figure in line with offers accepted by RMT in recent pay discussions across the rail industry.
TfL has also previously committed to entering into discussions with other rail authorities about leisure travel and those discussions with the Rail Delivery Group are ongoing. TfL is also reviewing what specific roles can be moved into a new pay arrangement, while Boxing Day payments have been addressed with plans now put in place to fund these from existing overtime budgets.
Claire Mann, TfL’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “We are disappointed that the RMT union has announced strike action.
“We regularly meet with our trade unions to discuss any concerns that they may have, and we recently met with the RMT to discuss some specific points. We are committed to ensuring our colleagues are treated fairly and, as well as offering a 3.4 per cent pay increase in our ongoing pay discussions, we have made progress on a number of previous commitments. 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.
“Given the improvements we have recently put in place in response to concerns raised by our unions, we urge the RMT to call off this action, which will only disrupt Londoners. We want them to continue to engage with us and put our fair, affordable pay offer to their members – which reflects a figure that is line with offers accepted by RMT across the rail industry. If this strike action goes ahead customers should check before they travel as on some days during the strike, there will be little to no service.”
DLR services will also be impacted by separate strike action with no service on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 September. The DLR will run a full service on all other days, although where stations are shared with London Underground services there may still be some disruption.
There is also separate strike action on bus services operated by First Bus between Thursday 11 – Sunday 14 September, which may affect bus services in west, northwest and southwest London.
Other TfL services – including the Elizabeth line, London Overground and London Trams – will be operating but are likely to be extremely busy. These services are expected to run as normal, but the closure of Tube stations may mean some services will be unable to stop at all stations or run to their normal destination.
As customers seek alternative routes to travelling on London Underground, other transport services and roads are likely to be extremely busy and subject to delay. Customers who need to travel are advised to plan ahead, and to consider walking and cycling where possible. If using public transport, customers should check before they travel and allow extra time to complete their journey.
Expected service during the action
The anticipated impact of strike action on London Underground services is as follows:
- Friday 5 to Saturday 6 September – No expected impact on customers’ journeys
- Sunday 7 September – Disruption expected across London Underground, with limited services operating. Services that do run will close earlier than normal with customers advised that all journeys should be complete by 18:00
- Monday 8 to Thursday 11 September – Little or no service expected across London Underground. Any services that do run will start later than usual with no service before 08:00
- Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 September – No service expected on the DLR
- Friday 12 September – No service before 08:00, with a good service on all lines expected by late morning
