London Tube strike causes chaos for return to work after jubilee weekend

Many Underground stations will remain closed while others will only open temporarily

Powered by automated translation

Commuters across London were hit by major travel disruption on Monday as about 4,000 Tube staff took part in a planned strike.

Tube stations across the capital were closed, causing significant setbacks for thousands of workers following the Bank Holiday weekend. London Underground advised people not to travel unless absolutely necessary, warning of severe disruption across the network from the start of service on Monday.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are taking industrial action in a dispute with Transport for London (TfL) over jobs and pensions.

The union fears threats to staff pensions and concerns that the loss of up to 600 station posts will pave the way for remaining staff having to work more unsociable hours or be isolated at stations during night shifts.

TfL operated limited underground services early on Monday, with the amount of trains in action steadily increasing over the following hours. But many stations, especially those in central and south London, were closed, while others were open for limited periods.

Other TfL services, including DLR, London Overground and Trams, have not been affected by the industrial action and were running, but were busier than usual.

The action forced office workers in London to temporarily return to working from home arrangements which had been in place during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

The disruption on London’s underground network coincided with upheaval for thousands of travellers who had been due to return to Britain on Sunday and Monday following the extended weekend.

Mass flight cancellations left passengers stranded overseas, with some resorting to booking Eurostar trains. Power cuts on the service inflicted setbacks on people who had booked trains from Paris to London on Sunday.

Graham Storrie was among the hundreds of commuters who found themselves forced to take a detour at Finchley Road underground station in North London during rush hour on Monday morning.

The maintenance engineer, who is originally from Dundee, Scotland, and now lives in London, had been due to take the Jubilee line to Westminster to get to work.

Having checked the line status on the TfL website before setting off, Mr Storrie felt reassured that his journey would go to plan despite the strikes. But when he arrived at the station he was hit by the news that there were no services to central London.

Mr Storrie said the strike had left him feeling frustrated at the start of his week and that TfL had handled the situation in an “absolutely terrible” manner. He was among several commuters who told The National they had not been properly informed about the planned strikes in advance.

“I had a quick check of the TfL website this morning because I just felt something might be going on,” said Mr Storrie. “It said there were Tube strikes but it looked like my journey would be normal. Then I got here and they said there was no Jubilee line or Metropolitan line to central London.

“Now the buses are absolutely packed. I could get a taxi but it would be like £20 to get to work. It's not very convenient for a lot of people.”

He said if the disruption drags on past Monday he will resort to cycling to work each day “and avoiding the Tube altogether”.

RMT has said the strikes would last 24 hours.

Alecu Popescu, who works as a building site manager in central London, said the walkout had caused him to be late for work and meant he had to entrust his responsibilities to a colleague.

Having travelled to Finchley Road station from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, he found himself among other distressed commuters facing delays to their journeys.

“The building site employs 360 people and each manager has a different package,” he told The National.

“I have had to call and give this task to [a colleague].

“I don’t have a different way to get to work.

“Even if it’s right for [Tube staff] to have a strike for some reason, it causes problems for other people.”

Location technology firm TomTom said the level of road congestion in the capital was 71 per cent at 8am, up from 64 per cent a fortnight earlier. The figures represent the proportion of additional time required for journeys compared with free-flow conditions.

Energy Minister Greg Hands blamed Labour’s mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, for the dispute which led to strikes.

The Conservative minister posted a photo on Twitter showing a crowded bus and said Mr Khan's leadership "has been a disaster for London".

"A long and slow 211 bus ride in today, from Fulham to Westminster," he captioned the image. "The bus is rammed, of course, thanks to the Tube strike. Mayor Khan promised no strikes. And this bus journey is one Khan is set to abolish with his new bus consultation. Khan has been a disaster for London."

Downing Street condemned the “deeply disappointing” strike action, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson's official spokesman saying TfL "must take all reasonable steps" to avoid staff walkouts.

“This sort of action is deeply disappointing and not what the public want to see, not what we want to see for businesses still trying to recover post-pandemic, people’s lives being disrupted in London,” a spokesman said.

“Obviously industrial relations at TfL are a matter for TfL and the mayor but it’s clear that under the current funding settlement TfL must take all reasonable steps to avoid industrial action.”

TfL said no proposals have been tabled on pensions or terms and conditions, and nobody will lose their jobs because of the proposals it has set out.

As part of previous funding agreements, the government has required TfL to work towards achieving financial sustainability on its operations by April 2023.

The network has proposed not recruiting for about 500 to 600 posts as they become vacant.

Andy Lord, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: “I’d like to apologise to London for the impact this strike will have on journeys.

“We know it’s going to be damaging to London and the economy, at a time when public transport is playing a crucial role in the capital’s recovery.

“While our focus is always on helping everyone travel around London whenever they want, the expected impact of the RMT’s action means we have to advise people to only travel if necessary, as many stations may be closed.

“Alternatives to the Tube, including the bus and rail networks, are likely to be much busier than usual and we expect the severe disruption caused by this strike to continue into the morning of Tuesday June 7.

Commuters face travel chaos as London Underground goes on strike

Commuters face travel chaos as London Underground goes on strike

“No changes have been proposed to pensions and nobody has or will lose their job as a result of the proposals we have set out.

“Working with us to find a resolution is the best course of action, avoiding the disruption this strike will cause to Londoners and the economy.”

The RMT said that under current proposals, 600 jobs will be lost, working agreements will be torn up and the looming threat to pensions remains in place.

General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “We are demanding a direct face to face meeting with [London's] mayor Sadiq Khan to sort this mess out.

“There’s no point in our union continuing to sit opposite management representatives who have neither the inclination nor the authority to negotiate a settlement, when the power lies with the mayor.”

Richard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are extremely disappointed that the RMT has called for a mass walkout by TfL workers in such close proximity to the queen’s jubilee weekend when London will be full of visitors.

“The last two years hit London disproportionately hard and the capital is desperately trying to claw back some sense of normality after a tumultuous two years.

“This strike now puts TfL in a position of having to recommend that Londoners work from home.

“Ultimately, this will only harm London’s economy and it is time for TfL to sort out their dispute with the RMT so we can get back to building prosperity and showing the world that London is open for business.”

RMT members on the Tube are taking further action short of a strike, meaning station staff might not work overtime until Sunday July 10, which may result in short notice station closures.

Updated: June 06, 2022, 3:01 PM