Tube strikes misery to hit London just days after 35C heatwave hell

Two 24-hour walkouts by Underground drivers are planned for Tuesday June 2 and Thursday June 4 by the RMT union. The strikes are expected to affect many Underground lines. The action follows April strikes, but the planned walkouts are not scheduled to run midday to midday across two days. Temperatures are forecast to be lower than the record heat, with June 2 around 22C and June 4 around 19C, with cloud and light rain showers. Transport for London is holding regular meetings with the RMT to resolve the dispute. London Mayor Sadiq Khan is urging talks to avoid further disruption. Support for the action appears less solid than in April, when more than 50% of services ran and some drivers turned up to work. Aslef highlights improvements from a four-day week, including extra days away and reduced weekly rostered hours.

"The RMT union is planning two 24-hour walkouts by Underground drivers on Tuesday June 2 and Thursday June 4. Unlike the industrial action in April, the looming strikes will not run midday to midday to impact across two days. If the walkouts take place, they are expected to impact many lines but at least temperatures will have dropped from the record high, of around 35C, this week."

"A Transport for London source said: We are having regular meetings with the RMT to try to resolve the dispute. Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan is urging talks between Transport for London and the RMT to avoid Tube strikes in June London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has urged TfL and the RMT to get around the table to find a solution to avoid commuters and other Tube users having to suffer more disruption on the network."

"There were also signs that support for the RMT industrial action may not be as solid as in some previous walkouts. More than 50% of services on the Underground ran during the April strikes. The number of trains that were operating also showed that some RMT drivers had turned up to work. Finn Brennan, Aslef district organiser for the Tube, stressed to its members: "The introduction of the four-day week will be the biggest improvement in working conditions for Underground train drivers in decades.""

"It means you will have working conditions that are as good as, or better than, those on any mainline train company." Aslef has highlighted the benefits to its members as including an extra 35 days away from work a year, average weekly rostered hours being cut to 34 from current average of 36, as well"

Read at www.standard.co.uk