London’s commuters make do as strike shuts subway system

Drivers and station staff walked out in a dispute over pay and schedules when a 24-hour subway service starts on a few lines later this year.

In exchange for working on the new 24-hour tube, TfL has offered an average pay increase of 2 per cent, a £500 Night Tube launch bonus and a £2,000 Night Tube transitional bonus.

“This dispute has never been about money, it is about protecting work life balance and making sure that change in contracts are negotiated, not just imposed”.

The strike action was called after unions and the London Underground failed to agree on a pay deal over a new “Night Tube” service due to start in September.

The London Underground’s managers announced that no trains would run for 24 hours, although they would be providing extra bus and river services alongside extra bicycle rental hubs.

Among those already affected by the disruption was actress Joan Collins who tweeted a picture and the post: “Stuck in traffic due to tube strike but the Tower of London still flies the flag”. It is also totally unnecessary. Strongly supported by customers and businesses alike, it is the mark of a modern and progressive world capital.

“We have today contacted Acas and asked them to assist us in getting back around the table”.

“No one will have to work more hours than they do now, and we have a longer term plan, which will mean no one will need to work nights if they don’t want to”.

It’s true that various kinds of automated trains exist in many cities – including London – but usually still require some kind of operator.

“The offer is still there and we are available to talk about it. I am amazed we have had no response”.

“The responsibility for this strike and the disruption that it will cause rests squarely with London Underground management”, said Finn Brennan, Tube organiser for the Aslef union. She is a RMT union rep and a Tube driver in Brixton, south London.

“However, where the employee can not get to work and the business has been forced to close, the employer should generally maintain full payment of the employee because he is unable to provide work for that day, unless any contractual lay-off provisions are invoked”.

So says the newspaper of the working class!

A comment by tweep Ian Johnson suggests that the train England caught was just finishing its final round before joining the London Underground tube strike.

The tail is wagging the dog once again as transport workers in London stage a 24 hour walk out, creating a serious issue for employees within Britain’s financial powerhouse – the City of London.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has cast doubt over the date for the introduction of the capital’s Night Tube.

If the strike goes ahead as planned – which looks ever more likely as the hours tick down – it will start in the late afternoon Wednesday local time and last all day Thursday.

“We will go ahead with the Night Tube”.

Londoners and commuters are encouraged to keep journeys by auto to a minimum to enable public transport to move freely.