Londoners are enduring another day of Tube strikes with drivers from the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) union taking part in their latest 24-hour walkout.
Similarly to Tuesday, the strike runs until 11.59pm on Thursday. Disruption is expected to hit the morning rush hour hard – just around half of London Underground services ran during peak morning time on Tuesday.
Commuters squeeze into busy train carriages during strike action on April 21
Getty
Passengers are also being advised to complete their journeys by 9pm on both strike days to avoid being caught out, as services are expected to become limited later in the evening.
When do the Tube strikes end?
No additional dates have been confirmed by the unions, so Thursday’s Tube strikes could be the last for a while.
In the meantime, London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has called on the union to take part in 11th-hour talks to come to a resolution.
The sources said further discussions were held earlier this week to provide additional clarity on the offer, in the hope it could lead to the RMT calling off the strike action.
TfL reiterated that the four-day working week proposal is voluntary and no driver would be forced to accept it.
The RMT has said that talks are expected to resume next week.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at the Queen’s park depot picket line during the strike action in April
PA
Aslef hailed the deal on offer as the “biggest improvement in working conditions for Underground train drivers in decades”.
Drivers belonging to Aslef will not be striking which means most Tube lines can still operate, just on a reduced service.
Questions were also raised over the effectiveness of its strike action in April after more than half of Underground services still ran. Some RMT drivers also turned up for work.
Some have also argued that Tube strikes no longer hit the capital quite as hard as they once did, with the rise of working from home and alternative options like e-bikes and river boats changing how many people, particularly younger, travel into work.
The RMT has described Transport for London’s proposals as a “fake” four-day week, arguing it would amount to compressing five days of work into four.
It has also raised concerns that the changes could increase fatigue among drivers and lead to shifts being allocated at short notice.
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Ross Lydall
Claire Mann, Chief Operating Officer at TfL, said: “We are disappointed to see the RMT continue with this industrial action. We still believe that the points they have raised can be worked out in time, through more detailed discussions and we are continuing to talk to the union’s representatives to find a way to avoid disruption to London.
“Our proposals are, and have always been, clear. The completely voluntary four-day week has been designed to improve work-life balance and any of our Tube drivers who do not wish to take up the new proposed way of working and associated changes to working arrangements can remain on a five-day working pattern.
“A significant number of drivers have indicated that they want us to progress plans for the pilot of this new working pattern on the Bakerloo line, bringing benefits both for our colleagues and our customers. We urge the RMT to work with us so we can resolve this dispute. In the meantime, we are asking customers to check before they travel and allow plenty of extra time for their journeys.”
How to beat today’s Tube strikes
If you’re looking for alternative ways to get around London during the Tube strikes, buses, bikes and boat services are available.
There are almost 700 bus routes operating in the capital, but be warned they are likely to be extremely busy during strike days, so you may not be able to get on the first service.
If your office is based on The Thames, you might want to consider hopping on an Uber boat.
Key commuter stops along the route include Canary Wharf, London Bridge, Blackfriars, and Battersea Power Station.
Services run frequently, with departures every 10–20 minutes during peak hours, starting from around 5:30am.
Standard pay-as-you-go fares typically range from £6.20 to £11.40 with an Oyster or contactless card, or around £19.30 for travel across all zones.
