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Tube network could grind to a halt as workers stage WEEK-long walkout

Commuters are preparing for travel chaos as tube workers are set to strike for seven days next month.

London Underground workers are to stage a series of strikes next month in a dispute over pay and conditions, the RMT union announced. 

The workers will begin the week-long walkout on Friday, September 5.

The union said that rail bosses ‘refused to engage seriously’ with their demands on pay as well as concerns about fatigue management and ‘extreme shift patterns’.

Underground workers were also demanding a reduction in the working week and to honour previous agreements made with staff.

An RMT spokesperson said: ‘Management’s dismissive approach has fuelled widespread anger and distrust among the workforce, who voted in overwhelming numbers to take strike action.’

In a separate dispute over pay and conditions, workers on the Docklands Light Railway will also be striking during this period.

The union said the action would bring ‘significant disruption to the capital’s transport network’. 

RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said: ‘Our members are doing a fantastic job to keep our capital moving and work strenuous shift patterns to make sure Londoners get to their destinations around the clock.

London Underground workers are to stage a series of strikes next month in a dispute over pay and conditions

RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said workers were not after the 'King's ransom'

‘They are not after a King’s ransom, but fatigue and extreme shift rotations are serious issues impacting on our members health and wellbeing- all of which have not been adequately addressed for years by LU management.

‘Coupled with the fact there are outstanding issues around staff travel arrangements, an atmosphere of distrust has been created, where our members feel like no one is listening to them.

‘RMT will continue to engage LU management with a view to seeking a revised offer in order to reach a negotiated settlement.’

A Transport for London spokesperson said: ‘We regularly meet with our trade unions to discuss any concerns that they may have, and we recently met with the RMT to discuss some specific points.

‘We are committed to ensuring our colleagues are treated fairly and, as well as offering a 3.4% pay increase in our ongoing pay discussions, we have made progress on a number of commitments we have made previously.

‘We welcome further engagement with our unions about fatigue and rostering across London Underground, but a reduction in the contractual 35-hour working week is neither practical nor affordable.

‘Given the improvements we have recently put in place in response to concerns raised by our unions, we urge the RMT to put our fair, affordable pay offer to their members and to continue to engage with us rather than threaten strike action, which will only disrupt Londoners.’

The strikes will involve different parts of the rail network striking at different times.

The strikes are likely to cause chaos for commuters across the Underground in September

On Friday September 5 and Saturday 6, managers at Ruislip depot are set to strike over pay, in a separate walkout to the main dispute. The Central Line is likely to be affected.

On Sunday 7, track access controllers, power control and Emergency Response Unit (ERU) workers will refuse to work. This is likely to cause long delays in the case of any incidents and could affect all Tube lines.

On Monday 8 and Wednesday 10, the majority of engineers and station workers will walk out, which will likely lead to stations closing from lack of staff and fewer trains available on the network.

While on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11, signallers, service control and ERU members will strike. This is likely to cancel most of the services as trains are not able to safely run without signalling staff.

Muniya Barua, Deputy Chief Executive at BusinessLDN, said: ‘It’s extremely concerning to hear that the capital is set to be disrupted by strikes yet again, just as schools reopen and Londoners head back to work after the summer break.

‘This industrial action will hit already sluggish economic growth, particularly in sectors like hospitality and retail that are struggling due to hikes in employment costs. We urge all sides to work together to avoid a damaging scenario where the city grinds to a halt.’

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