[OLD]London Tube strikes – live: Most Underground lines suspended as walk-outs disrupt travel across capital

Some Tube trains are running on two lines – the District and Central – but none through the heart of London.

The Independent has seen the official document issued to staff by the London Underground Control Centre.

It shows there are trains running on the eastern and western ends of the Central Line: from White City to Ealing Broadway and West Ruislip; between Loughton and Liverpool Street; and from Newbury Park to Leytonstone via Woodford.

On the District Line, the eastern extreme between Upminster and West Ham has some trains, while a “reduced frequency” is operating between High Street Kensington and Wimbledon, calling at Earl’s Court.

According to a Freedom of Information request last year, the average base pay of a London Tube driver is £56,496 (this was based on the financial year to March 31, 2020).

For comparison, average base pay for train drivers working for companies such as GWR, South Western and Southeastern ranges from around £56,000 to £67,000.

Night Tube drivers earn around half of the daytime salary, as their positions are part-time. During training, Tube drivers are paid less (around £32,375 per annum) for a period of around 12-16 weeks. Overtime rates are around £36 an hour.

In terms of perks, drivers also get 43 days of holiday a year, a free annual Tube pass for themselves and a partner, and can retire on a reduced pension at the age of 50 or a full pension at 60.

Negatives of the job include the possibility of having to work more than 15 weekends in a row due to shift patterns, some shifts starting at 4.45am and having to leave an alcohol-free period of eight hours before each shift.

However, it was reported last year that nine Tube drivers are paid more than £100,000 a year.

A London tour guide, Sophie Campbell, has tweeted the RMT union to say: “You know, @RMTunion, you get money/pensions/free transport that I will never see in my s***ing lifetime, not even if I work until I'm 109, which looks increasingly likely.

“P.S. Yes, very grateful for you working during Covid.”

A Freedom of Information request to Transport for London (TfL) in 2018 showed that nine drivers were paid more than £100,000; another 30 made more than £80,000, and 100 were paid £70,000 to £80,000.

As London commuters swapped the entire Tube network for crammed buses on busier than usual streets, many took to social media to share their frustration.

Photos and gifs of paparazzi-swamped celebs, elbowing crowds on the New York subway and panicking muppets were just some of the reactions to the day’s travel landscape.

Most TfL Tube lines are completely out of action today, due to the RMT union strike.

However, the Central Line is running some trains, between White City and Ealing Broadway/West Ruislip, and between Liverpool Street and Loughton. Both are at a reduced frequency.

On the District Line, there are a few trains operating between Upminster and West Ham, and between High Street Kensington and Wimbledon.

London Overground, TfL Rail, the DLR, London Trams and National Rail will all run services this week. However, TfL says: “If you are using services from stations also served by the Tube, check before you travel for possible station closures.”

Buses are running, but likely to be busier than usual with many commuters taking them in place of the Tube.

Why is the tube strike happening?

A dispute about pensions and working conditions of tube workers has resulted in the two-day strike on Tuesday 1 March and Thursday 3 March.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Sadiq Khan should be standing up to Tory ministers who want to needlessly attack jobs, pensions and conditions of key transport workers.

“It is this political failure that has left Tube workers with no choice but to strike this week. Our members have been left paying the price for a turf war between City Hall and the Government and they are not having it as can be seen right across London today.

“The mayor knows the plan to attack our members’ pensions and conditions is wrong and would leave our union no choice but to take industrial action.

“However, only last week the Mayor agreed to submit proposals to the Government that will result in detrimental changes to pensions.

“The mayor has to decide if he is on the side of key workers who have kept London moving during the pandemic or Tory ministers hellbent on punishing tube workers.

“This dispute can be solved if the mayor meets the reasonable demands of his own workforce.”

The RMT said 10,000 Tube workers are taking part in the strikes, with pickets at key locations.

London Underground is set to be crippled on Tuesday because of a strike by thousands of workers amid a warning there could be no Tube services because of the action.

What they’ve said:

A spokesperson for Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “The upcoming strike action will cause disruption to Londoners and businesses that are trying to recover from two devastating years.

“It will also damage TfL’s revenues at a time when TfL is already under huge financial strain due to the pandemic.

“TfL are working to mitigate the impact of the strikes but disruption is inevitable. The mayor urges Londoners who need to travel 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.

“Sadiq doesn’t want to see strike action and is imploring the unions to come to the table and work with City Hall and TfL.”

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “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.

“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 he on? The side of our members who risked their lives as key workers in Covid and are now, as he predicted, striking to defend (their) livelihoods and future? Or the side of a Tory Government which wants to attack jobs, pensions, conditions and services?

“The mayor can solve this dispute by agreeing to talks that meet the concerns of his own workforce.

“Our members are central to the future of passenger safety and confidence on the Tube and they’ll be at the heart of London’s recovery. For the good of his workers and London’s recovery, Sadiq needs to stand firm against the Government, stop the pensions raid and end the job massacre.”

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.

“It’s highly unlikely there will be an Underground service running during the strike action and services are likely to be affected on the mornings of 2 and 4 March too.

“I apologise to customers for this and understand they will be frustrated by this strike action, but urge them not to take it out on those who are trying to help.

“We haven’t proposed any changes to pensions or terms and conditions, and nobody has or will lose their jobs because of the proposals we have set out, so this action is completely unnecessary.

“We know our customers deserve better than this and that is why we’re urging the RMT to talk to us so we can find a resolution to this dispute and call off this action, which is threatening London’s recovery from the pandemic.”

Travellers in London are being warned of severe disruption to tube services this week because of strikes by thousands of workers in a dispute over jobs, pensions and conditions.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will walk out on Tuesday and Thursday, and Transport for London (TfL) says it expects severe disruption across all Tube lines on strike days.

The planned action is also likely to severely affect services on Wednesday and Friday, particularly in the morning peak.

TfL has criticised the industrial action, saying there are no proposals on pensions or terms and conditions, and nobody has or will lose their jobs because of the proposals it has set out.

“TfL will do all it can to provide as many transport options as possible, but customers are advised to check before they travel, consider if their travel is essential and work from home if possible. They should leave more time for journeys and travel at quieter times where possible,” it said a statement.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Our members will be taking strike action because a financial crisis at LU (London Underground) has been deliberately engineered by the government to drive a cuts agenda which would savage jobs, services, safety and threaten their working conditions and pensions ... in addition to the strike action, RMT is co-ordinating a campaign of resistance with colleagues from other unions impacted by this threat.”

Picket lines will be mounted outside Tube stations across the capital on Tuesday and Thursday.

Major tube strikes are expected to affect the entire London Underground network this week.

The RMT union confirmed on Friday that talks with arbitration service Acas had broken down.

The strikes were initially announced in February, with RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, blaming “a financial crisis at LUL (London Underground Limited)”, which he described as being “deliberately engineered by the government”.

So, which lines will be affected and when? Lucy Thackray has everything you need to know.