TfL’s urgent move to stop Underground strikes in London

Transport for London issued an urgent appeal to avert Underground strike action and called upon the RMT union to suspend action and return to negotiations. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

However, with walkouts looming, massive service disruption across the city of London is still highly likely throughout the week.

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The first to strike will be those that handle access to tracks, and action will start tomorrow. Therefore, there has been a warning by the TfL of limited services, primarily at peak moments of traveling, at its peak demand.

Most of the lines on the Tube will either have restricted or no service from Monday to Thursday. Also, signallers will go on strike on Tuesday and Thursday, and the Chiltern Railways services at Aylesbury will not run on those days.

Meanwhile, services at the Docklands Light Railway will not run on Tuesday and Thursday due to a separate row. Other lines such as the Elizabeth Line, Overground, and trams will continue to function, but commuters can expect crowds and timetable changes.

The central claim of the RMT is reducing the working week from 35 hours to 32 hours on the basis of managing fatigue. The proposals were challenged by TfL on the basis of not being affordable, costing in the hundreds of millions of pounds.

The chief operating officer of the TfL, Claire Mann, urged the RMT to rethink and hold a new ballot on the 3.4 percent offer. The current round of negotiations, nonetheless, ended without a settlement, and commuters in London now experience sharp uncertainty.

Impact of Underground strike on commuters

The strike will impact millions of journeys across London, and commuters will have no other choice but to use a different route. The suburban trains and buses will be crowded and will experience delays well beyond the Underground network.

TfL’s position on Underground strike and pay claims

TfL reinforces its position that a shorter working week is not sustainable financially. The powers that be assert that the pay deal on offer is a fair compromise. Unless there is movement, however, industrial action will escalate further.

Source: railnews.mobi

How will Underground strike disrupt traveling in London?

The current strike will hamper services from Monday to Thursday, with further walkouts planned. Commuters will face severe delays on these days.

What do the Underground strike demands mostly comprise?

The RMT union is calling for a working week reduction from 35 to 32 hours in order to alleviate fatigue. The proposal has been turned down by TfL, who brand it fiscally irresponsible.

Are Underground strikes disruptive to other transport services as well?

Yes. The Docklands Light Railway will have suspended service on Tuesday and Thursday, and trains like the Overground and Elizabeth Line will still run but experience serious overcrowding and potential timetable changes.

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