UK: London Underground strike will essentially stop all tube services

A strike at London Underground would virtually shut down all tube services and cause substantial traffic delays throughout most of the metropolis due to the ongoing dispute over jobs and pensions.

While buses are anticipated to be incredibly busy and traffic to be jam-packed, some London Overground and Docklands Light Railway services may also be impacted by the RMT union's 24-hour boycott. Trains on the Elizabeth Line will operate as usual.

Furthermore, there will be a walkout by about 10,000 RMT employees from Arriva Rail and London Underground.

As part of the funding agreement with the federal government, Transport for London (TfL) intends to reduce the number of station workers it hires and has committed to developing solutions for consultations to lower its pension commitments.

As per reports, TfL has promised that no jobs will be lost as a result of its cost-cutting measures, which will result in a 600-person staff headcount reduction, and added that no plans to lower pension benefits have been put forward.

The union claimed that TfL turned down a last-ditch proposal to end the strike if it would halt plans and promise to safeguard employees' pensions.

Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the RMT, said TfL needs to start making concessions to reach a settlement that benefits the workforce and prevents additional disruptions to the lives of passengers.

The chief operating officer of TfL, Glynn Barton, expressed regret to the users. Although no deal could be reached, he claimed TfL had met with the RMT to urge them to end the tube strike. Glynn added that TfL is still open to talking about it as the unions still have time to end this strike.

Network Rail has stated that no additional pay offers are being considered beyond its existing 8% increase over two years with a $570 bonus for the lowest paid and a 75% unlimited rail travel discount. However, it has extended the period during which it guarantees no compulsory layoffs until the end of January 2025.

Source credit: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/nov/09/london-underground-strike-will-halt-nearly-all-tube-services-on-thursday