London tube strike will go ahead from tonight with 24-hour weekend walk out over pay
London tube strike WILL go ahead from TONIGHT with 24-hour weekend walk out over pay with severe disruption on five London Underground lines
Tube staff strike set to cause disruption on five Underground lines tomorrowWorkers also staging 8-hour walkout on Central and Victoria lines tonight Travellers and Christmas shoppers told to expect serious delays across networkComes in dispute between RMT union and London Underground over Night Tube
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Christmas shoppers will face serious disruption on much of the London Underground from tonight because of an ongoing row about the Night Tube.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are set to stage an eight-hour walkout on the Central and Victoria lines from 8.30pm.
This will be followed by a 24-hour stoppage on Saturday on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines – severe disrupting the capital’s network on the last weekend before Christmas.
Around half of tube drivers are RMT members and the strike is expected to be ‘strongly supported’.
Travellers were warned that the action will mean there is little or no service in places on the underground.
Transport for London (TfL) said a strike by Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union members is expected on the Central and Victoria lines on Friday ‘despite months of talks’ over changes to rosters. TfL also said five lines, as well as Night Tube services on the Central and Victoria lines, will be affected on Saturday and into Sunday morning – the last weekend before Christmas Day
Union negotiators were calling for the Underground to recruit new part-time Night Tube drivers rather than force existing staff to work four night shift weekends each year.
However, they claimed the proposal was rejected for ‘mainly financial reasons’, citing the cost of training the new drivers.
Talks were held this week but the row remains deadlocked.
The RMT said new rosters for the Night Tube are being imposed on drivers.
General secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘We are angry and disappointed that Tube management have refused yet again this week to move forward based on genuine and realistic proposals that could have enabled us to recommend the suspension of the planned action.
Travellers were warned that the action will cause disruption to Tube services with little or no service in places. Pictured: Commuters on the Jubilee line at London Bridge
Trains are expected to become crowded with Christmas shoppers and those going to office parties and gatherings that have not been cancelled
‘As a result the strike action this weekend goes ahead.
‘The issue at the heart of the dispute is that the dedicated Night Tube driver grade, which was popular with women and those with caring responsibilities, and which the union fought to get written into the original agreement, has been ripped up with the loss of 200 posts and complete disregard for the staff themselves.’
Nick Dent, London Underground’s director of customer operations, said: ‘Our view remains that rostering Tube drivers to work up to four night shift weekends each year, which they can swap with colleagues if they wish, is fair and reasonable.
‘We have also guaranteed that there will be no job losses. We urge the RMT to call off this unnecessary strike action, which will reduce the level of service we can run at a time when coronavirus cases are rising.
‘It will not serve any purpose other than to disrupt Londoners and visitors to the city as they enjoy the festivities at this special time of year.’
A London Underground spokesman added: ‘We’ve urged the RMT union to put the current dispute aside and cancel this weekend’s strike action, which will reduce the level of service running at a time when coronavirus cases are rising.
‘Calling off the action would mean London Underground services can run as normal to support people travelling to work and those going to get their vaccination boosters.
‘No drivers have been forced to switch to part- or full-time work if they do not want to.’
