Strikes planned by London Underground staff belonging to the RMT union in January are set to cause huge disruption in the capital next week.
Starting on Sunday (7 January), if the industrial action goes ahead it will see services stopping early that evening, and little or no service across the entire Tube network from Monday to Thursday. Service is expected to resume late on Friday morning.
Tube passengers have been advised by Transport for London (TfL) to “only travel if their journey is essential”.
Different parts of the workforce will strike on different days to cause maximum disruption without employees having to lose out on four days’ pay.
RMT members voted by over 90 per cent against a “below inflation” pay offer of 5 per cent, with the union calling it “unacceptable”.
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“The refusal of Transport for London to restore staff travel facilities and create a two-tier workforce is also unacceptable,” said RMT general secretary Mick Lynch.
“Our members have made it clear that they are prepared to take action and we urge TfL to improve their offer to avert disruption in the capital.”
A TfL spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that RMT has announced strike action based on our full and final pay offer.
“We have been clear throughout our productive discussions with our trade unions that this offer is the most we can afford whilst ensuring that we can operate safely, reliably and sustainably.
“We encourage the RMT to engage with us to avoid disruption for Londoners.”
Here’s everything we know so far.
When are the January 2024 Tube strikes?
Industrial action will run from Sunday 7 January to Friday 12 January. Services will be affected as follows:
Sunday 7 January: Tube services will close earlier than normal. Customers are advised to complete Tube journeys by 5.30pm.
Monday 8 to Thursday 11 January: Severe disruption is expected, with little to no service expected to run.
Friday 12 January: Tube services will start later than normal, with a good service expected by midday.
TfL has advised passengers who need to travel during the strike to plan ahead, check their journey beforehand and allow more time to get around.
Will any London Underground services be running?
While all Tube lines will be disrupted, no other TfL services are affected. Buses, DLR, London Overground and Elizabeth line services will be in operation. However, TfL has warned they may be “busier and affected by station closures where stations also serve London Underground lines”.
One-way or queueing systems may also be in place.
How can I get around during the Tube strikes?
In addition to buses and DLR, London Overground and Elizabeth line services, travellers can also opt to use one of the capital’s bike hire schemes to get around, including Santander Cycles, which cost from £1.65 to rent for 30 minutes, or Lime, which costs £1 to unlock and 23p per minute to ride.
In some cases it might be possible to walk to your destination instead. TfL is keen to promote travel on foot – it already has a range of useful walking guides, and has even teamed up with Go Jauntly to bring a Walking Tube Map to people’s phones to make it easier to walk as part of everyday journeys.
Journeys can obviously be completed by car, either private vehicles or London cabs and other taxi services such as Uber. However, roads are expected to be busier than usual, and commuters have been warned to allow more time for their journeys.
