STORY
Commuters across the capital are bracing for major travel chaos as the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union launches a rolling strike across the London Underground, causing widespread disruptions and testing London’s resilience. The strike began on Sunday 7 September and is due to last until Thursday 11 September, with minimal services reported on the first day and virtually no Tube operations expected for the following four days. The network may only begin returning to normal on Friday.
All Underground lines are affected, from the Central and Northern to the Victoria and Jubilee, while the Docklands Light Railway will also be shut on 9 and 11 September. The Elizabeth line, London Overground and trams continue to run but are expected to be heavily overcrowded as passengers scramble for alternatives. The RMT has justified the action with demands for a reduced 32-hour week, improved fatigue management, safer shift patterns and better pay, pointing to long-standing staffing shortages since 2018.
Transport for London argues it has already made a reasonable offer of a 3.4% pay rise in line with inflation, one it insists is affordable, but says that cutting working hours would cost hundreds of millions. TfL has urged the union to put its proposals to members rather than impose blanket disruption, though talks remain deadlocked. The strike has already rippled beyond commuters. Concerts by Coldplay and Post Malone have been rescheduled from this week due to the near impossibility of moving large numbers of fans safely across London. Businesses, schools and service providers are meanwhile preparing for days of chaos as staff struggle to travel.