London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called on the RMT union to suspend planned strikes that are set to bring the London Underground to a halt for four days starting Monday. The walkouts, involving over 10,000 of London Underground's 15,000 staff, are expected to virtually close the tube from early evening on Sunday 7 September until 8am on Friday 12 September.
The RMT is striking over a pay dispute and demands for a reduction in the working week from 35 to 32 hours. Transport for London (TfL) has offered a 3.4% pay rise, in line with RPI inflation and other rail industry deals, but says a shorter working week is not practical or affordable. No further talks are scheduled, and TfL views the strike as inevitable under new RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey.
Londoners are advised to check before travelling, as the Elizabeth line, London Overground, national rail services, and buses will continue to run but are likely to be overcrowded. The Docklands Light Railway will also close on Tuesday and Thursday due to a separate dispute. Aslef, representing most tube drivers, is not expected to strike.
TfL chief operating officer Claire Mann said: 'We call on the RMT to suspend this action, put our fair and affordable offer to their members and continue discussions with us.' The RMT claims TfL has 'refused to engage seriously' on issues including fatigue and extreme shift patterns. Average salaries for tube staff range from £44,000 for station staff to over £100,000 for some service controllers.
