Overview
- RMT Tube drivers, who began a 24-hour walkout at 12pm on Tuesday, left the Piccadilly and Circle lines shut and halted sections of the Metropolitan and Central, while the Elizabeth line, DLR and Overground ran but were packed.
- Another 24-hour strike is scheduled from midday on Thursday, with services winding down late morning and TfL advising people to finish journeys by 8pm on strike days.
- The dispute centers on TfL’s voluntary plan to compress drivers’ hours to 35 over four days with paid meal breaks and an initial Bakerloo test, which the RMT opposes on fatigue and safety grounds as it seeks a 32‑hour week.
- Union positions differ as ASLEF accepts the 35-hour proposal, while RMT official Jared Wood cites longer shifts and changes to annual leave as key concerns and says members are united against the plan.
- Travel pressures will intensify with a separate Stagecoach bus strike on seven routes from 5am Friday, and RMT has posted more 24-hour Tube walkouts in May and June that businesses warn could cut sales and keep commuters at home.