Strikes by London Underground drivers will go ahead next week
Strikes by London Underground drivers will go ahead next week, threatening travel chaos for commuters and visitors to the capital.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) confirmed that its members will walk out from 12 noon for 24 hours on Tuesday April 21 and Thursday April 23, accusing Transport for London (TfL) of imposing a new four-day working week.
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “We have approached negotiations with TfL in good faith throughout this entire process, but despite our best efforts, TfL seem unwilling to make any concessions in a bid to avert strike action. This is extremely disappointing and has baffled our negotiators.
“The approach of TfL is not one which leads to industrial peace and will infuriate our members who want to see a negotiated settlement to this avoidable dispute.”
TfL said services will vary across lines and urged passengers to check before they travel.
Some bus routes in the capital operated by Stagecoach will be affected by a separate 24-hour strike from 5am on Friday April 24.
Claire Mann, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: “We have set out proposals to the RMT for a four-day working week. This allows us to offer train operators an additional day off, whilst at the same time bringing London Underground in line with the working patterns of other train operating companies, improving reliability and flexibility at no additional cost.
“The changes would be voluntary, there would be no reduction in contractual hours and those who wish to continue a five-day working week pattern would be able to do so.”
Roundup of disruption during April Tube strikes
Tuesday April 21 and Thursday April 23
- Morning – normal services expected until mid-morning
- Late morning – some disruption as services start to reduce ahead of strike action starting
- After midday – significant disruption expected on all lines
Wednesday April 22 and Friday April 24
- Morning – significant disruption expected on all lines
- After midday – continued disruption throughout the afternoon and evening as we return the service to normal
- Evening – normal service
Why are the strikes happening?
TfL wants to compress the current 36-hour working week across five days to a 35-hours spread across four days. This change would see contractual hours remain the same due to one less paid lunch hour being required.
RMT has rebutted this with an effort to keep the four-day week but reducing working hours to 32. Union boss Eddie Dempsey said the proposed longer working day of eight hours and 45 minutes would cause driver fatigue and compromise safety for railway staff and passengers.
This dispute has dragged on since April 2025 when rival union Aslef – which solely represents train drivers – accepted TfL’s 35-hour, four-day working week proposal describing it as “exactly the sort of deal every trade union should be trying to achieve.”
TfL has trialled this working pattern on the Bakerloo line and told London Centric in November that these shifts were available for all drivers on a voluntary basis.
The company’s director for London Underground customer operations, Nick Dent, said in an email to all staff in September that a small reduction in contractual hours would cost tens of millions of pounds.
Chief operating officer Claire Mann claimed this would be “neither practical nor affordable”.
