Exclusive: Two 24-hour Tube strikes across entire London Underground network to go ahead next week, union says

Commuters on the London Underground will face serious disruption next week as two full days of strike action across all Tube lines are planned.

An RMT Union source told LondonWorld that the two 24-hour walk outs on Tuesday March 1 and Thursday March 3 will “definitely go ahead”.

Transport for London asked Londoners who use the Tube to work from home where possible, and consider alternative modes of transport.

“Making journeys will be more difficult if the RMT’s strike goes ahead,” Andy Lord, TfL’s chief operating officer, said.

The dispute is over reported plans by TfL to cut up to 600 station posts, as well as concerns over pay, pensions and working conditions.

TfL described the action as "extremely disappointing" and said no jobs would be lost as part of the proposals.

The union says more than 10,000 members working on the Tube were invited to take part in a ballot.

Of those who responded 94% voted in favour of strike action, the RMT said.

LondonWorld understands that talks between RMT and Transport for London (TfL) are ongoing today, as the two bodies try to resolve the dispute.

However RMT sources confirmed that the strikes across the entire London Underground network would be going ahead.

Union members have already been striking at weekends over the Night Tube, however this would be the biggest walk out of the year so far.

What is RMT saying about the latest Tube strikes?

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “Our members will be taking strike action next week because a financial crisis at LUL has been deliberately engineered by the Government to drive a cuts’ agenda which would savage jobs, services, safety and threaten their working conditions and‎ pensions.

“The sheer scale of that threat was confirmed in talks yesterday.

“These are the very same transport staff praised as heroes for carrying London through Covid for nearly two years, often at serious personal risk, who now have no option but to strike to defend their livelihoods.

“The politicians need to wake up to the fact that transport staff will not pay the price for this cynically engineered crisis.

“In addition to the strike action RMT is coordinating a campaign of resistance with colleagues from other unions impacted by this threat.

“The union remains available for talks aimed at resolving the dispute.”

What is TfL saying?

Andy Lord, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: “It is extremely disappointing that the RMT is planning to go ahead with this action. We haven’t proposed any changes to pensions or terms and conditions, and nobody has or will lose their jobs because of the proposals we have set out.

“I hope the RMT will get around the table with us, continue talks and call off this disruptive action, which will cause huge frustration for our customers and further financial damage to TfL and London’s economy when we should be working together to rebuild following the pandemic.

“If the RMT does go ahead with this action, then anyone who needs to travel on March 1 and 3 should check before they make their journey, consider whether they are able to work from home and use alternative modes of transport where possible.

“I understand the frustration this proposed strike action will inevitably cause, and can assure customers that we are doing everything we can to mitigate the impacts.

“Making journeys will be more difficult if the RMT’s strike goes ahead, so I urge any customers to please be considerate towards each other and TfL staff.”

Night Tube Strikes

This comes as strike action on the Night Tube is also set to continue through till summer.

Transport for London (TfL) has warned of severe disruption on the Victoria and Central lines from 7pm every Friday and Saturday, till June 19.

Night services on the London Overground will however run as planned between Highbury & Islington and New Cross Gate.