Tube passengers face months of travel chaos after transport bosses and rail workers failed to resolve a bitter dispute over shift patterns on the London Underground.
The RMT union has confirmed six separate 24-hour walkouts spread across March, April and May, with the first set to hit commuters on 24 March. The strikes are being called in direct response to Transport for London’s push to introduce a compressed four-day working week for train drivers on the Bakerloo line.
Unlike a standard four-day week where hours are reduced, the proposal would squeeze the same number of contractual hours into fewer, longer shifts — something union members say raises serious safety concerns around driver fatigue and unsociable working time arrangements.
RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said the union had spent months trying to reach an agreement, but that London Underground had continued pushing ahead with plans its own workforce had already voted to reject.
TfL insists the scheme would be entirely voluntary, with drivers free to remain on their existing five-day schedule if they prefer. A spokesperson said the new pattern would improve reliability and allow for more flexible deployment of staff, all without any additional cost to the organisation.
However, the union argues that despite the voluntary framing, the proposals represent a fundamental change to working conditions that should not be imposed without a negotiated agreement.
The full list of strike dates is:
- 24–25 March (12:00 Tuesday – 11:59 Wednesday)
- 26–27 March (12:00 Thursday – 11:59 Friday)
- 21–22 April (12:00 Tuesday – 11:59 Wednesday)
- 23–24 April (12:00 Thursday – 11:59 Friday)
- 19–20 May (12:00 Tuesday – 11:59 Wednesday)
- 21–22 May (12:00 Thursday – 11:59 Friday)
TfL has warned the walkouts will cause serious disruption to commuters and businesses across the capital, calling the action “completely unnecessary” and urging the RMT to stand the strikes down.
This is not the first time Underground drivers have walked out in recent months. Industrial action over pay and conditions last September brought widespread disruption to London’s transport network.
Dempsey said a negotiated resolution remains possible if London Underground moves to find a workable solution before the first walkout begins. Both sides are expected to continue talks ahead of the 24 March deadline.
