LONDON faces another weekend of strike chaos after Tube drivers voted to walk out for the second time in a week.
Complaining that the return of the capital's night Tube service will destroy their "work / life balance", drivers on the Central and Victoria line will strike this evening from 7pm until 4.29am on Sunday.
London Underground bosses rejected calls from the RMT to hire dedicated Night Tube drivers to fill in the shifts during discussions this week.
They say the resumption of the Night Tube only means drivers will have to work four night shifts a year making a minimal impact on their work / life balance.
But the RMT Union said it's “become clear the drive from tube bosses is all about cutting costs regardless of the impact on staff and the services they operate”.
TfL said there was potential for “little or no service” on the Victoria and Central lines for the next three weekends.
Read our Tube Strike live blog for the latest news and updates…
- Joseph Gamp
Serious consequences in the run-up to Christmas
Nick Dent, director of London Underground customer operations, said the strike by RMT was “avoidable” and it might have serious consequences as it comes ahead of Christmas.
Nick said the strike: “will threaten London’s recovery from the pandemic, despite no job losses and more flexibility and job certainty for drivers”.
“While every other union has agreed to these changes and our staff have been enjoying the benefits of the changes since August, we’re willing to work with the RMT and review the changes after Night Tube services have returned,” he added.
- Joseph Gamp
When did the Tube strike start?
The Tube strikes kicked off at 4am on Friday 26 November after a 24 hour walk out was organised.
The plan is that overnight action from 8.30pm to 4.30am each Friday and Saturday will continue every weekend until the run up to Christmas.
- Joseph Gamp
Are there any other future Tube strikes I need to worry about?
The strike action is due to continue in the same vein over the next weekend and until December 18.
There will also be another five-line 24-hour shutdown on the final Saturday before Christmas.
TfL has called for RMT to call off the strike and enter talks about the staffing requirements of the Night Tube.
- Joseph Gamp
Can I get fined for drinking alcohol on the Tube?
According to the Transport for London (TfL) conditions of carriage it is prohibited to carry opened containers of alcohol and to drink alcohol on TfL services.
Clause 2.6 of the TfL Conditions of Carriage says: “On our buses, trams and trains, in our bus and rail stations and on tram platforms, you must not: consume alcohol [or] be in possession of an open container of alcohol.”
Famous rule breakers include the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, Diane Abbott, who was pictured in April 2019 swigging a £2 Marks & Spencer mojito on an overground train in North London.
On another occasion, a drunk man with no shoes or trousers was spotted sleeping whilst standing up on a London Tube.
Alcohol was banned on the London Underground on June 1, 2008, in one of Boris Johnson‘s first policy statements after he became Mayor of London.
- Joseph Gamp
Are there any other strikes planned?
Further action has been planned each weekend in the run-up to Christmas on the Central and Victoria lines.
There will also be another five -line 24-hour shutdown on the final Saturday before Christmas.
- Joseph Gamp
Planned strike dates
All train operator and instructor operators working on the Central and Victoria lines are instructed not to book on for any duty commencing:
between 20:30 on 3/12/21 and 04:29 on 4/12/21
between 20:30 on 4/12/21 and 04:29 on 5/12/21
between 20:30 on 10/12/21 and 04:29 on 11/12/21
between 20:30 on 11/12/21 and 04:29 on 12/12/21
between 20:30 on 17/12/21 and 04:29 on 18/12/21 - Joseph Gamp
Why did the night tube stop?
The Night Tube was ditched in March 2020 so more trains could run during the day to increase social distancing at the height of the Covid pandemic.
- Joseph Gamp
TfL: No drivers forced to switch to full or part-time hours
Transport for London said no drivers have been forced to switch to part or full-time work if they do not want to.
A statement said: “Since August when the changes came in, more than a quarter of our female Night Tube operators remain part-time, six remain on night shifts only and 11 have moved to part-time day shifts, which they couldn’t do before grade consolidation.
“The figure for men remaining part-time is 16%, with eight remaining on night shifts and 16 moving to part-time day shifts.
“This shows the appetite for full-time work from drivers previously on Night Tube contracts.”
- Joseph Gamp
Masks row breaks out between Tube passengers
A MASK row broke out between commuters on a train after one passenger refused to let others sit on a seat next to her.
Three women were locked in a brawl after one passenger, wearing a black hat and pink coat, refused to move her bag to let anyone else sit down on the Tube.
At one point during the bizarre altercation, a third woman forced her way into the seat despite the pushing and kicking from the pink-coat lady.
She then jumped up shouting about how she was exempt from wearing a mask – with the blonde woman responding: “I’m exempt as well.”
The row started when the second woman, wearing a black coat, tried to sit on the Tube seat.
But the seated passenger said: “What is wrong with you? Did you just come out of cave?”
The standing passenger wearing a black coat argued back saying: “Out of a cave?Are you actually going to put your hands on me over a seat on a train that I have paid for today?”
- Joseph Gamp
Explained: Why are drivers striking?
The union claims Transport for London has "ripped up" an agreement on drivers being allowed to choose whether to work on night services.
Further strikes are planned in the run-up to Christmas.
TfL said drivers will only work four nights a year, adding that new rosters have been agreed by other unions.
- Joseph Gamp
Another night of disruption ahead
The strikes are set to resume again this evening.
It will be the second night in a row that a walkout has been staged during the night tube service on the Victoria and Central Lines.
The disruption will last until early Sunday morning.
- Joseph Gamp
What does TfL say about the strikes?
A statement on the TfL website reads: "This weekend's planned strike action is part of a further four nights and one full day of disruption ahead of Christmas, which will impact Londoners and the city's recovery at a crucial time.
"The RMT has taken this action over new rosters, which have been agreed by the other recognised union and were introduced for Tube drivers in August.
"This strike action has been called despite the new rosters including assurances that there will be no job cuts, providing certainty and the option of permanent work for those on part-time contracts and only scheduling four night shift weekends per year – shifts which can be swapped with colleagues for duties at other times of day if that works better for them.
"Talks between TfL and RMT are ongoing as TfL seeks to try and avoid this unnecessary action."
- Louis Allwood
History of the night tube
The first lines to take on the 24-hour service were the Central and Victoria lines on August 19, 2016.
Central line services run between Ealing Broadway and Loughton/Hainault while the entire Victoria line stays open.
Services were then launched on the Northern line and the Piccadilly line joined the network.
And in July, 2017, it was announced the London Overground, also referred to as the Orange Line, will operate all night on Friday and Saturdays between New Cross Gate and Dalston Junction – with the service to then be extended to Highbury & Islington in 2018.
The Northern line ran a 24-hour from Morden via Camden Town and on to Edgeware/High Barnet with no service on the Bank or Mill Hill East branches.
Piccadilly line ran between Cockfosters and Heathrow Terminal 5 with no services on the Terminal 4 loop or between Uxbridge and Acton Town.
- Louis Allwood
What is the night tube?
The night tube is the metro in London that runs throughout the night on certain days and lines.
Former Mayor Boris Johnson’s brain child was held back by a year as the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) clashed with TfL over pay and conditions.
But the project took off in 2016 and after a staggered start all five proposed lines are running all-night services for Londoners on the weekends with the London Overground now set to join them.
- Louis Allwood
What should commuters do?
Commuters should check before they leave for their commute to see whether the lines are heavily affected.
Those travelling will be able to use the Official TFL website to check for closures and disruption.
- Louis Allwood
‘Strike action is needless’
Nick Dent, director of London Underground customer operations, added: “The RMT’s planned strike action is needless and it will threaten London’s recovery from the pandemic, despite no job losses and more flexibility and job certainty for drivers.
“While every other union has agreed to these changes and our staff have been enjoying the benefits of the changes since August, we’re willing to work with the RMT and review the changes after Night Tube services have returned.
“This review can only be successful if the RMT agrees to meet us for talks and withdraws its proposed action so we can all see how these changes will work in practice.
“If the RMT refuses to engage with us and carries out its unnecessary action, which is timed to cause maximum disruption for our customers looking to enjoy London during the festive season, Londoners are advised to check before they travel on days of planned strike action.”
- Louis Allwood
Why did the night tube stop?
The Night Tube was ditched in March 2020 so more trains could run during the day to increase social distancing at the height of the Covid pandemic.
- Louis Allwood
Why is the night tube resuming?
Thousands signed a petition in the wake of Sarah Everard’s kidnap, rape and murder by twisted Met cop Wayne Couzens, for the night tube to resume.
Many want the tube service to come back to create a safer way of travelling around London at night.
- Louis Allwood
Why is the strike taking place?
The ongoing dispute is over the night shifts that drivers will be required to work to enable the restart of the Night Tube.
Since the start of the pandemic it has been suspended, but was due to resume overnight on Saturday for the first time.
The RMT claim that the workloads being forced on Tube drivers would wreck their work-life balance by “bulldozing through additional night and weekend working”.
- Louis Allwood
Mick Lynch has released the following statement
General Secretary Mick Lynch said:
"We are angry and disappointed that the tube management have refused to move forward based on genuine and realistic proposals that could have enabled us to recommend the suspension of the planned action. As a result the strike tomorrow goes ahead
" The issue at the heart of the dispute is that the dedicated Night Tube driver grade, which was popular with women and those with caring responsibilities, and which the union fought to get written in to the original Night Tube agreement, has been ripped up with complete disregard for the staff themselves.
"We have made every effort in ACAS and direct talks since the off to resolve this dispute but it is increasingly clear that LU bosses are driven solely by the bottom line and appear to have no interest whatsoever in the well being of their staff or the service to passengers.
“The union remains available for further talks even at this late stage and it's time for the Mayor to stop siding with the management against the union and start using his offices to push for a resolution. “
- Louis Allwood
Planned strike dates
All train operator and instructor operators working on the Central and Victoria lines are instructed not to book on for any duty commencing:
between 20:30 on 3/12/21 and 04:29 on 4/12/21
between 20:30 on 4/12/21 and 04:29 on 5/12/21
between 20:30 on 10/12/21 and 04:29 on 11/12/21
between 20:30 on 11/12/21 and 04:29 on 12/12/21
between 20:30 on 17/12/21 and 04:29 on 18/12/21
- Joseph Gamp
RMT members walk out
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union walked out for eight hours from 8.30pm on the Central and Victoria lines in a dispute over rosters.
The weekend overnight service, introduced in 2016, was suspended last year because of the pandemic and was disrupted by industrial action when it resumed last weekend.
The union claims Transport for London (TfL) has "ripped up" an agreement on drivers being allowed to choose whether to work on night services.
- Joseph Gamp
Masks row breaks out between Tube passengers
A MASK row broke out between commuters on a train after one passenger refused to let others sit on a seat next to her.
Three women were locked in a brawl after one passenger, wearing a black hat and pink coat, refused to move her bag to let anyone else sit down on the Tube.
At one point during the bizarre altercation, a third woman forced her way into the seat despite the pushing and kicking from the pink-coat lady.
She then jumped up shouting about how she was exempt from wearing a mask – with the blonde woman responding: "I'm exempt as well."
The row started when the second woman, wearing a black coat, tried to sit on the Tube seat.
But the seated passenger said: “What is wrong with you? Did you just come out of cave?"
The standing passenger wearing a black coat argued back saying: “Out of a cave?Are you actually going to put your hands on me over a seat on a train that I have paid for today?”
- Joseph Gamp
Full day strikes planned for December 18
Full-day strikes are planned on Saturday 18 December between 04:30 and 04:29 the following day.
Full-day strikes are planned on the following lines:
- Victoria
- Central
- Jubilee
- Northern
- Piccadilly
Driver's strike 'solidly supported'
A strike by drivers on London Underground's Night Tube was said to be "solidly supported" on Friday evening.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union walked out for eight hours from 8.30pm on the Central and Victoria lines in a dispute over rosters.
The weekend overnight service, introduced in 2016, was suspended last year because of the pandemic and was disrupted by industrial action when it resumed last weekend.
The union claims Transport for London (TfL) has "ripped up" an agreement on drivers being allowed to choose whether to work on night services.
Another strike will be held from Saturday evening, followed by further stoppages in the run-up to Christmas.
TfL said drivers will only work four nights a year, adding that new rosters have been agreed by other unions.
Source: Read Full Article