Emma Best criticises Sadiq Khan for distancing from the police

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Transport for London (TfL) is warning travellers of severe disruption to all lines and a high likelihood no London Underground services will run on Tuesday and Thursday. Thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) are set to walk out on both days with severe knock-on effects expected on Wednesday and Friday mornings.

Andy Lord, TfL’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “I would ask anyone who needs to use the Tube on 1 and 3 March to check before they make their journey, consider whether they are able to work from home and use alternative modes of transport where possible.”

Images on social media show long queues at bus stops and shuttered Tube stations.

The action is part of a dispute over pensions, jobs and conditions. TfL met the RMT at the conciliation service ACAS twice in the last two weeks, but no progress was made on avoiding the strike action.

It comes as the price of travelling on London’s Tube and bus network rises by nearly five percent. TfL’s increases are the biggest in more than a decade and will come in from Tuesday.

One unhappy traveller tweeted: “You’d think with all the s*** going on in the world right now, f****** tube drivers would actually just decide to do their jobs instead of going on f****** strike this week and making peoples lives just that little bit more difficult…”

Another raged: “Is this a joke @TfL #tubestrike #London? For this I’m paying 173.60 per month my travel card??”

A third Twitter user said: “[N]ot everyone can work from home. As someone who’s continued commuting throughout all the pandemic and pays over £200 to commute across London all this is doing is hurting those just needing to get to work. My 1 hour commute is nearly tripling to 3 hours today. Thanks.”

Another tweeted: “There’s an irony to RMTunion instigated latest #tubestrike. Many ‘middle class’ workers will be fine. Work from home? No problem! Those who make the beds in hotel rooms, serve meals in those hotels, clean the corridors… they’re stuffed. Still, up the workers, comrades!”

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Despite the disruption, some people have supported the strike action with one person saying: “Station workers carried on working (not from home) during the pandemic so other essential workers could get to their respected places of work.”

Another tweeted: “Solidarity with the tube workers.”

On the eve of strikes, the RMT called for talks with Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, urging him not to turn his back on Tube workers by siding with a Government he knows is wrong over pensions and cuts.

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said on Monday: “Sadiq Khan knows that this raid on our members’ pensions and conditions is unfair and would lead to industrial action because he’s said it himself.

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“Yet only last week we find out that the mayor has agreed to submit proposals to the Government that will result in attacks on those pensions.

“Which side is the Mayor on? The side of our members who risked their lives as key workers in Covid and are now, as he predicted, striking to defend livelihoods? Or is the Labour London Mayor on the side of a Tory government which wants to attack jobs, pensions, conditions and services?”

However, Mr Lord said that TfL has not proposed any changes to pensions or terms and conditions. He added that nobody has or will lose their jobs because of the proposals TfL has set out, so the strike action is completely unnecessary.

Under the price increases, pay as you go fares will rise by 10p in Zone One, up from £2.40 to £2.50. A single bus fare will also go up by 10p to £1.65.

The average fare rise of 4.8 percent is in line with the rate of inflation but some bus fares will rise by 6.5 percent as TfL struggles to fund the capital’s network.

London Overground is running a reduced service, while TfL Rail, the Docklands Light Railway and tram services are operating normally.

TfL warns that buses and local roads in London are likely to be busier than normal. It advises travellers to allow more time for their journeys and consider walking or cycling if possible.

There are overnight strikes on the Central and Victoria lines every Friday and Saturday until June 19. TfL is advising people to check before they travel.

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