Tube drivers represented by the RMT union have voted in favour of strike action in a dispute over Transport for London’s plans to introduce a four-day working week, raising the prospect of disruption to the London Underground network in the coming weeks.
No strike dates have yet been set. Under trade union law, the RMT must give TfL a minimum of two weeks’ notice before any industrial action can begin, meaning the earliest possible disruption remains weeks away. The union has indicated it is willing to hold off if TfL changes course.
At the centre of the dispute is a TfL proposal to move Bakerloo line drivers to a condensed four-day working pattern. TfL has insisted the scheme would be entirely voluntary, with no reduction in contractual hours, and that drivers who wish to remain on a five-day week would be free to do so. The transport body says the change would improve reliability and allow more flexible deployment of drivers at no additional cost to the organisation.
The RMT has rejected that framing, arguing the new shift patterns would become unpredictable in practice, leading to driver fatigue and increased safety risks across the network. The union said a majority of drivers had opposed the proposals when consulted and described it as now being in TfL’s hands to respond seriously to their members’ concerns.
Talks between TfL and its trade unions over how to implement the four-day week proposal began last year. Whether further negotiations can resolve the dispute before strike dates are formally lodged remains to be seen.
