London Underground Drivers Announce Eight 24-Hour Strikes Over Working Arrangements
The RMT union has scheduled a series of walkouts starting in late November over a disputed four-day workweek proposal.
London Underground drivers are scheduled to stage a series of eight 24-hour strikes over the coming months following a dispute regarding working arrangements, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) announced. The planned walkouts could significantly disrupt transportation networks in the British capital, particularly during the busy pre-Christmas shopping weekends and into the new year.
The industrial action is set to begin at noon on November 26, with further protests planned for December 17 and 19. Additional strikes are scheduled for early January and late February. Previous walkouts earlier in the year caused notable disruptions to Underground services, and network officials warn that the upcoming action may limit the number of active trains.
At the center of the dispute is a proposed four-day working week. Transport for London (TfL) has stated that the new schedule is voluntary, but the RMT argues that the changes will undermine employment agreements and erode working conditions. According to the union, the shift patterns would force drivers to spend more time operating trains, accept longer and less predictable duties, and face earlier starts and later finishes.
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey criticized the proposal, stating that management is attempting to disguise an attack on worker conditions. "London Underground is attempting to dress up a wholesale attack on drivers’ working conditions as a voluntary four-day week," Dempsey said. He added that members are being asked to surrender long-standing protections and face threats of depot displacement if they refuse.
Furthermore, the RMT expressed serious concerns that the new rosters would pave the way for hundreds of job cuts. The union pointed to initial rosters published for the Bakerloo line that indicate significant reductions in staffing. Dempsey noted that while the union is not opposed to a genuine four-day week, it rejects any initiative used as a vehicle for job cuts and intensified working conditions.
In contrast, Aslef, Britain's trade union for train drivers, has expressed surprise over the RMT's strike action. Aslef supports the transition to a voluntary four-day schedule, noting that it would grant drivers an extra 35 days off each year based on a 34-hour workweek in exchange for updated working conditions and digital booking systems.
Finn Brennan, Aslef’s full-time organizer on the London Underground, explained that discussions are ongoing with Transport for London regarding the final implementation details. "Management have agreed that anyone who wants to keep working a five-day week will be able to do so without suffering any detriment, and we will be holding them to that," Brennan said. He characterized a strike aimed at preventing workers from choosing a shorter schedule as a puzzling decision, even as negotiations and preparations for the upcoming transit disruptions continue.