London Tube Strikes Bring City to a Standstill
Commuters in London are facing major travel disruption this week as a five-day strike by RMT union members shuts down most of the Underground network. The rolling strikes began on Sunday and will continue through to Thursday, with little to no Tube service expected until Friday morning. "We are not going on strike to disrupt small businesses or the public," said an RMT spokesperson, blaming Transport for London (TfL) for refusing to consider a shorter working week to reduce fatigue.
The strike has pushed more people onto buses, the Elizabeth line, and the Overground, causing long queues and delays. TfL's journey planner and app buckled under heavy traffic Monday morning, showing error messages as users scrambled for alternative routes. With up to five million people using the Tube daily, the impact has been significant, and things are expected to get worse on Tuesday as more people head into the city.
TfL has offered a 3.4% pay rise but called union demands "simply unaffordable." The RMT, backed by the 4 Day Week Foundation, is pushing for changes to what it calls “extreme shift patterns.” Docklands Light Railway services will also be shut on Tuesday and Thursday due to a separate dispute, and ride-hailing apps like Uber have seen fares surge amid rising demand.
