Commuters faced severe travel disruption as the entire London Underground network shut down and many rail services were cancelled due to strikes. The industrial action, involving multiple unions, also affected London Overground, bus, and boat services, which were much busier than usual.
The strikes, which began at 18:30 BST on Wednesday, involved members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA), and Unite. At 21:30, the train drivers' union Aslef began its own 24-hour stoppage. The dispute centres on pay and the introduction of a planned weekend night-time service.
London Underground (LU) has contacted the conciliation service Acas to set up fresh talks with the unions. LU offered staff a 2% average pay rise plus a £2,000 one-off payment for drivers affected by the night service. However, unions have raised concerns about weekend and night working, stating the issue is not solely about money.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the strike action was “rock solid across all lines,” aiming to stop the “bulldozing through of new working patterns.” Meanwhile, LU chief operating officer Steve Griffiths thanked Londoners for their patience and said the organisation was ready to talk at any time to resolve the dispute.
Transport for London (TfL) laid on an extra 200 buses and additional river services to cope with demand. Cycle hire was particularly busy. The disruption also affected attendance at Wimbledon, with spectator numbers lower than the same time last year.
London Mayor Boris Johnson has refused to rule out a delay to the night Tube launch, originally planned for 12 September, stating it would begin “this autumn.” The TSSA has called for talks to start as soon as possible, offering some hope for a resolution.
