By Ahmed Abdelsalam
London Underground train drivers will stage a series of 24-hour strikes over the coming months in a dispute over new working arrangements, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union announced on Friday.
Strike Schedule
The walkouts will begin at noon on November 26, followed by further action on December 17 and 19, January 4 and 6, and February 17, 23 and 25.
Dispute Over Working Arrangements
The union said new arrangements being imposed include a four-day week that would require drivers to spend more time driving trains, accept longer duties, earlier starts and later finishes. The RMT also warned that shift pattern changes could lead to short-notice alterations to shifts, transfers and annual leave.
Job Cut Concerns
The union raised serious concerns that the proposals could pave the way for hundreds of job cuts, citing initial rosters for the Bakerloo line that indicate significant staffing reductions.
Union Leader Condemns Proposals
“London Underground is attempting to dress up a wholesale attack on drivers’ working conditions as a voluntary four-day week,” RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said. “But there is nothing voluntary about a scheme that forces drivers to give up existing protections whether they work four days or five, and threatens those who refuse with displacement from their depots.”
Dempsey added that members are being asked to spend more time driving trains, accept longer and more unpredictable shifts, and surrender agreements negotiated and defended over many years.
