No 10 backs ‘fed up’ Londoners in tube strikes row – as pressure grows on Khan
No 10 has backed “fed up” Londoners hit by tube strikes on Monday as Mayor Sadiq Khan was urged to find a solution with the trade union RMT to end industrial action.
People across the capital have been hit by strikes stopping services on the London Underground, with disruption to last until Friday.
The prime minister’s spokesman weighed in on the matter as he said the government agreed Londoners will “rightly be fed up with the disruption from tube strikes.”
The spokesman highlighted the troubles facing parents dropping kids off at school and getting to work.
“RMT and TfL need to get back around the table, work together to resolve this dispute in the interests of passengers,” the spokesman said.
The government said it was in the interests of Londoners that the two “work together in good faith”.
Sadiq Khan, who serves as the chair of Transport for London (TfL), is under growing pressure to speak out on the strikes, with the London Mayor so far not making any public media appearances.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Mayor said: “Nobody wants to see strike action or disruption for Londoners.
“Strikes have a serious impact on London’s businesses and commuters. The Mayor continues to urge the RMT and TfL to get around the table to resolve this matter and get the network re-open.”
TfL have said it made the union a “fair” and “affordable” offer representing a 3.4 per cent rise in pay.
But RMT members are holding out for more, with more demands being made on “fatigue management” and “extreme shift patterns”.
It said it wanted the working week to be reduced from 35 hours to 32 hours but tube bosses have refused to allow the cut, citing a cost of tens of millions of pounds a year.
Tube strikes hit nightclubs
Train drivers in London earn an average of £71,000 while staff earn some £44,000.
Some operators earn more than £100,000.
The Night Time Industries Association said some £150m could be lost in revenue this week while leading business groups have called on the two parties to reach an agreement.
UKHospitality have said the sector across London could face a cost of up to £110m.
Kate Nicholls, chair of UKHospitality, said: “Consumers will be forced to change or cancel their plans, impacting sales, and many hospitality teams will have difficulty making it to work.”
“This level of impact comes at a time when businesses can least afford it, having just been hit with £3.4bn in additional annual cost. It’s crucial that all parties involved get round the table to negotiate a solution that can avoid these damaging strikes.”
The strikes in London wreck the Mayor’s electoral pledge to end tube strikes across the capital. The next elections are only due in 2028.