London Underground staff in the RMT and Unite unions have gone on a 24-hour strike, halting the tube and disrupting travel for millions of commuters in the capital on Thursday.
Passengers have been urged to avoid the tube and check before they travel due to the latest strike in a long-running dispute over jobs and pensions. The Elizabeth Line and national rail services should run as normal but are expected to be much busier.
London buses are likely to be overcrowded and running slower due to busier roads. Docklands Light Railway and London Overground trains could face last-minute disruption and may not stop at all stations with a tube connection. London Trams will also be running a reduced timetable.
The industrial action, primarily by RMT members on the tube, will be joined by about 1,000 Unite members. RMT staff at London Overground will also be on strike, although Transport for London says services will continue to run.
Disruption on the tube is expected to persist into Friday morning as staff return to work.
Talks on Tuesday failed to avert the strike. Glynn Barton, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: “I would like to apologise to our customers for any disruption caused by Thursday’s industrial action.
“Customers should check before they travel on Thursday and we are advising them to expect very limited or no service on the tube.”
The RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, said: “Our members are resolute in their determination to see a just settlement to this jobs and pensions dispute. And they will continue their industrial campaign for as long as it takes.”
Unite, which is also seeking a pay rise for its members working in various roles across London transport, accused TfL of “needlessly attacking” a viable pension scheme. Its general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “TfL must stop behaving like a race-to-the-bottom employer and put forward an offer that is acceptable to our members.”
TfL is proposing to reduce staffing numbers at stations by about 10% and to review its employees’ pension scheme, under an agreement made with central government for a funding settlement to shore up its finances after the pandemic.
TfL has said no employee will lose their job, and that there are no existing proposals to cut pensions.
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