Commuters in London are facing severe disruption today as a Tube strike by the RMT Union brings parts of the Underground network to a halt. The first of two 24-hour walkouts began at 00:01 BST and will continue until 11:59 pm, with a further strike expected on Thursday at the same time.
Services Suspended and Disrupted
There is no service on the Circle line, the Piccadilly line, the Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate, and the Central line between White City and Liverpool Street. Disruption is expected across all other Tube lines, with services starting late and finishing early. Other transport options, including the Elizabeth line, DLR, London Overground, and buses, are running as normal but are expected to be extremely busy.
Commuters Voice Frustration
Passengers have expressed frustration over the strike, which comes just weeks after the London Underground was plunged into chaos for four days in April. One commuter posted on social media: "Actually so sick of these tube drivers striking every freaking second."
Reason for the Strike
The strike follows failed last-ditch talks between Transport for London (TfL) and the RMT Union at the conciliation service Acas. Last year, TfL proposed a voluntary four-day working week for train drivers, compressing 35 hours into a shorter schedule without pay reduction. The Aslef union, representing over half of Tube drivers, accepted the offer, calling it the "biggest improvement" in work-life balance "for decades." However, the RMT is demanding a 32-hour working week across four days for the same pay, citing concerns over driver fatigue and safety under the current proposals. Talks on Monday lasted five hours but failed to reach an agreement.
