London Tube strikes 2021: Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines to be hit on Saturday

Londoners have been advised to “check before they travel” this weekend as driver strikes are set to hit five Tube lines.

The Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines are set to be disrupted all day on Saturday due to the industrial action.

And London Underground staff are also going to walk out from 8.30pm on Friday night on the Central and Victoria lines to affect the Night Tube.

Both Transport for London and the RMT union have confirmed the industrial action will continue into its fourth weekend in a row, as both parties fail to settle their dispute over weekend rosters.

The row is over the return of the Night Tube, which was brought back at the end of November, however has been affected by industrial action ever since.

The union says that TfL should hire additional driver to cover overnight shifts on the weekend, while the transport body has said that they will only have to work four night-shift weekends per year, and can swap shifts.

RMT drivers on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines have been told not to clock on between 4.30am on Saturday and 4.29am on Sunday.

This is the second 24-hour strike action the union has taken over the dispute.

Night Tube services on the Central and Victoria lines are also set to be disrupted from 8.30pm on Friday to 04.29am on Saturday.

Talks between TfL and RMT are ongoing as both parties work towards an agreement.

What is TfL saying?

Nick Dent, London Underground’s director of customer operations, said: “Our view remains that rostering Tube drivers to work up to four night shift weekends each year, which they can swap with colleagues if they wish, is fair and reasonable.

“We have also guaranteed that there will be no job losses.

“We urge the RMT to call off this unnecessary strike action, which will reduce the level of service we can run at a time when coronavirus cases are rising.

“It will not serve any purpose other than to disrupt Londoners and visitors to the city as they enjoy the festivities at this special time of year.

“We remain available for talks at any time.”

What is RMT saying?

General secretary Mr Lynch wrote to the mayor last Friday calling on him to use his political leadership to resolve the bitter dispute over the Night Tube

It said: “It appears to me that London Underground managers have got themselves into a difficult position for reasons that are not entirely clear but which they are finding it hard to publicly climb down from.

“It’s for this reason that Londoners will have to endure another round of strike action over the Night Tube.

“This is not a sensible way to conduct industrial relations on the Tube.”

The letter also calls on the mayor to step in and reverse station staff cuts.

It added: “The cuts announced by London Underground are exactly the wrong response to this issue.

“They will leave passengers – especially women and girls – more vulnerable, they will further damage passenger confidence and they will increase lone working for my members, putting them at even greater risk.”