Tube drivers plan strikes ahead of Christmas over four-day working week
RMT drivers have announced further walkouts over proposed working arrangements, threatening disruption for London commuters and Christmas shoppers.
By Vanessa Lopez ·
London Underground passengers face further disruption in the run-up to Christmas after train drivers belonging to the RMT union announced a series of strikes over plans for a four-day working week. The action threatens journeys for commuters and shoppers, including those travelling during the final shopping weekend before Christmas.
The union has called eight strikes, each lasting 24 hours, spread across 16 days, with six taking place before Christmas. The next round is due to begin at noon on 26 November. Two further strikes are planned for early January, with additional action expected in February as the dispute over working arrangements continues.
Among the planned December stoppages are walkouts beginning at noon on Thursday 17 December and Saturday 19 December. Those strikes could leave passengers with few Tube services during the last shopping weekend before Christmas. Earlier industrial action this year caused extensive disruption across the Underground, though trains continued operating on most lines.
The dispute centres on a proposal that Transport for London says would allow drivers to choose a four-day working week. The RMT opposes the changes, arguing that they would weaken existing agreements and leave its members with worse working conditions. It says it has still not received guarantees that drivers would be able to retain their current five-day arrangements.
The union’s concerns also extend to the timing and predictability of shifts. It believes the proposed system would make working patterns less certain, despite TfL’s assurances that participation would be voluntary. For the RMT, the outstanding questions concern both the terms of the new arrangements and the protection of existing ones.
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey accused London Underground of presenting a broad deterioration in conditions as an optional reduction in the number of working days. He said members were being asked to drive for longer, work longer and less predictable shifts, and give up agreements secured and maintained over many years.
Dempsey argued that the proposal would allow management to obtain more work from fewer drivers while increasing its flexibility at employees’ expense. He rejected the suggestion that the changes were intended to improve the balance between drivers’ work and personal lives.
The position contrasts with that of Aslef, which represents most London Underground drivers and has fully backed the plans. Similar strikes in April and June brought major disruption despite that endorsement and TfL’s insistence that the four-day arrangement would be entirely voluntary.
