London transport strike action

The RMT transport union organised a week of rolling strike action across the London Underground (LU) network and London’s Docklands Light Railway in early September.

The dispute concerns pay, fatigue, extreme shift patterns and a reduction in the working week. A strike ballot in July of over 10,000 workers saw a 97% vote in favour of strike action on a 60% turnout.

General secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “Our members are doing a fantastic job to keep our capital moving and work strenuous shift patterns to make sure Londoners get to their destinations around the clock.

“They are not after a King’s ransom, but fatigue and extreme shift rotations are serious issues impacting on our members’ health and wellbeing — all of which have not been adequately addressed for years by LU management.”

Towards the end of the strike, Transport for London (TfL) invited the RMT to further talks, but denied that London mayor Sadiq Khan had instructed them to do so.

The main sticking point in negotiations is over the working week: the RMT is seeking a move towards a 32-hour week. But as Labour Research went to press, TfL had refused to budge from 35 hours.

September’s TUC Congress unanimously supported a motion calling on Sadiq Khan to convene a summit to resolve disputes, improve industrial relations, end outsourcing and retain ticket offices.

The last network-wide strike was in March 2023.