Thousands of London Underground staff—including drivers, signalers and maintenance workers—began rolling strike action on Sunday, triggering severe disruption across the city’s subway network and threatening almost complete suspension of Tube services through Thursday.
The strikes, organized by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, center on pay, fatigue management, shift patterns and a demand to reduce the contracted working week from 35 hours to 32—a demand Transport for London (TfL) says it cannot afford, while offering a 3.4 percent pay rise.
“Our members cover 4 am starts, 1 am finishes, weekends and bank holidays, around the clock, 364 days a year delivering 5 million passenger journeys every day,” RMT wrote in a post on X on Sunday. “They do this with 2,000 fewer staff post-COVID and face increasing levels of abuse and violence so that London thrives.”
Newsweek has reached out to the RMT and TfL via email Sunday during non-working hours for comment.
Why It Matters
The London Underground is a core artery for millions of daily journeys, and the RMT’s rolling action risks significant disruption to commuting, tourism and events across the city.
Economic-impact modelling estimates direct losses could exceed £230 million or about $3.6 million, according to reports from The Guardian and the BBC.
The strike has also affected major events, with some concerts originally scheduled this week, including Coldplay and Post Malone, postponed. Both rescheduled their concerts to later dates.
What To Know
The RMT has scheduled staggered walkouts from Sunday through Thursday that will affect different staff groups on different days.
“If the strikes go ahead, little to no Tube service is expected between Monday 8 to Thursday 11 September, with disruption on Sunday 7 September,” the TfL said in a press release on Friday.
It advised customers to complete journeys by early evening on strike days.
The impacted service schedule includes limited services on Sunday with an early finish, almost no Tube trains between Monday and Thursday, and a phased return to normal service on Friday morning.
The Elizabeth Line, London Overground and National Rail services are expected to run but will be busier than usual.
The RMT says the strike action stems in part from a reduction of about 2,000 Underground staff since 2018 and worsening shift patterns that it links to fatigue and safety concerns.
Jared Wood, RMT London Transport regional organizer, defended the strikes, saying that members of the union “want a fair share.”
“They want some promises that have been made in previous pay rounds to be honored, and we want a change in direction,” Wood told the BBC, emphasizing they want to see a move towards a 32-hour work week. “We just want to see some progress.”
TfL has said RMT’s request to cut hours in the work week, is unaffordable.
What People Are Saying
Jared Wood, RMT London Transport regional organizer, told the BBC: “TfL, by its own statements, is celebrating an extraordinary chapter in its history where it has recorded three years of successive operational services and that’s been recognized for the people at the top. The senior directors have had up to 22 percent pay raises this year alone. What our members are saying is they just want a little bit of that recognized.”
Claire Mann, TfL chief operating officer, said in a press release: “We call on the RMT to suspend this action, put our fair and affordable offer to their members and continue discussions with us. Our pay deal is in line with other offers accepted by the RMT across the rail industry, so it is disappointing the RMT is planning to disrupt Londoners without giving their members a say on the offer”
What Happens Next?
As of Sunday, there were no reports of fresh negotiations scheduled between TfL and the RMT. The union has urged London Mayor Sadiq Khan to intervene.
Travelers are advised to check live service updates from TfL, allow extra travel time and consider alternatives such as cycling, walking or using the Elizabeth line and London Overground where available.
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