London tube staff to strike in September in ‘extremely concerning’ move
London tube staff are set to strike over pay in early September in what industry chiefs have labelled a “damaging scenario” for sluggish growth across the capital.
The rail union RMT said on Thursday that rolling strike action would begin on Friday 5 September while Docklands Light Railway staff will strike from 8 September over separate disputes.
Strikes across the London Underground are set to last for seven days.
Union activists blamed Transport for London (TfL) executives for “extreme” shift rotations, issues around travel arrangements and pay.
They also said TfL bosses had failed to “honour previous agreements”. Staff will take industrial action at different times according to their grade.
The division between workers and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who serves as the chair of the TfL’s board, had fuelled “widespread anger and distrust”.
A TfL spokesperson called on RMT to accept its 3.4 per cent increase to pay for tube staff in negotiations and said it would “welcome further engagement” on fatigue and rotations.
“We regularly meet with our trade unions to discuss any concerns that they may have, and we recently met with the RMT to discuss some specific points,” the spokesperson said.
“A reduction in the contractual 35-hour working week is neither practical nor affordable.”
London Underground strike to hit businesses
Business chiefs have flagged their worries over what strikes could mean for economic growth in the capital.
Muniya Barua, deputy chief executive at BusinessLDN, said it was “extremely concerning” that London would be hit by strikes again in a time when schools were re-opening and people were returning from holidays for work.
“This industrial action will hit already sluggish economic growth, particularly in sectors like hospitality and retail that are struggling due to hikes in employment costs,” Barua said.
“We urge all sides to work together to avoid a damaging scenario where the city grinds to a halt.”
Khan has avoided strikes in the last year, with pay packages and fewer working days offered to TfL workers to avoid disruption.
The Mayor has said working from home (WFH) arrangements for workers at firms across the capital had depleted the TfL’s budget for tube staff but critics have accused Khan of “squirrelling away” funds.