TfL Tube strikes: Watch Londoners on how their lives are affected by industrial action

This week’s Tube strikes were cancelled at the last minute, saving countless Londoners from being unable to make it to work. The industrial action was aborted following progress in talks between the RMT and TfL.

LondonWorld talked to members of the public to find out what people made of the planned strikes.

Jo, who runs a children's charity from South London, said: “[The strikes] are quite disruptive… While I definitely support workers’ right to strike, it was when they decided to hold a strike over the London Marathon weekend, which is the biggest earner for charities like mine… it definitely is disruptive in that way.

“Obviously the whole working-from-home culture has made it a little bit more problematic for strikes to have an impact on people.

“It is detrimental to businesses, it is detrimental to people who really need to get to work. It hurts minimum wage workers as well. I don’t really know what the answer is, but I’m very glad it was called off at the last minute.”

Simon, 60, from Sydenham, is not affected too much by Tube disruption. He said: “I don’t use public transport much, I’ve got my over-60 Oyster card now so it’s free. So pretty much if I’m going around on the buses, or I use the trains occasionally to get into town, I think it’s brilliant. I just tap my little card, I get on and it’s free.”

He was, however, able to empathise with people whom it affected more, saying: “The disruption hasn’t disrupted me because I’m not a regular user, I’m not a commuter, so it’s not an issue I know much about. I don’t have any grievance - yet.

“I’m sure those people that actually need the service, regularly, and it has to be utterly reliable for, are probably fuming.”

Tom, from Sydenham, was more supportive of the rail workers. He said: “I support anyone’s right to strike, it doesn’t affect me at all really. If and when it does, I just work around it.

“I travel all over London, but it’s no big deal. [If there are Tube strikes], I just go to a regular rail line and walk, or get the bus. Hardly seems like a big deal really.”

Ryan, from south London, said: “I think London is quite a convenient place for travel. I think it should be maintained a bit better. I think the taxpayer does foot it quite a bit.

“As for me finding it an inconvenience, it can be because I travel to the north of England a lot. I’ve got family up there, so I guess cancellations, having to change halfway through a journey maybe."

Asked whether he found the TfL or National Rail to be less reliable, Ryan said: “It teeters between them. For whatever money they say they’re putting into things for improvement, for paying other people, I think they could do a bit more in terms of satisfying the employee and the traveller.”