London Underground staff have launched their first network-wide strike since March 2023, beginning a five-day walkout over pay, working hours, and fatigue management.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are staging rolling industrial action after rejecting Transport for London’s (TfL) offer of a 3.4 per cent pay rise. Union members are demanding improved fatigue policies and a reduction in contractual hours from 35 to 32 per week.
The strike is expected to cause severe disruption across the capital. Limited service will run until 18:00 BST on Sunday, followed by little or no service between Monday and Thursday. Normal operations are not expected to resume before 08:00 on Friday. While the Elizabeth line and London Overground are operating, they are anticipated to be heavily congested alongside buses and major roads.
TfL has maintained that reducing contracted hours is neither practical nor affordable but stated it remains open to further engagement with unions.
In addition to the Tube walkout, the Docklands Light Railway will be hit by separate strikes on Tuesday and Thursday, compounding transport disruption across the city.
The last time a full network shutdown occurred was in March 2023. At that time, a last-minute intervention by the Mayor of London diverted £30 million from Greater London Authority funds to avert strike action, a move that later prompted criticism over transparency after the funding appeared in budget documents.
The latest industrial action underscores the growing tension between TfL and its workforce, with unions pressing for improved working conditions against a backdrop of financial pressures on London’s transport network.
