Getting around London is about to become a massive headache again. Transport for London is attempting to condense its traditional 36-hour, five-day workweek into a 35-hour, four-day schedule that drops one paid lunch break. That fundamental policy shift has triggered an ongoing deadlock with the Rail, Maritime and Transport union. Now, the RMT is proceeding with a series of severe strikes next week.
The disruptions hit across two massive 24-hour windows. The first walkout is scheduled from midday Tuesday, April 21 to midday Wednesday, April 22. The second wave hits from midday Thursday, April 23 to midday Friday, April 24. Expect completely paralyzed routes. TfL confirmed there will be absolutely no service on the Piccadilly and Circle lines. Partial shutdowns will throttle the Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate. The Central line will also see zero trains running between White City and Liverpool Street. These closures are locked in as the specific London Underground line closures and RMT union demands show a bitter fight over shifts extending to eight hours and 45 minutes.
The RMT demands a 32-hour week spread over four days, arguing the longer single shifts will cause driver fatigue and threaten passenger safety. They already have six strikes spread across 12 days planned for April, May, and June. If you regularly rely on public transport to navigate the city, you need to prepare for extreme delays.
The fallout goes far beyond the platform. Katie Nicholls, chair of UK Hospitality, stated the strikes will have a devastating effect on London’s hospitality sector because commuter footfall will become almost non-existent. But the workforce is completely split on the new schedule. The ASLEF drivers’ union voted to accept TfL’s new working schedule. They explicitly labeled it the biggest improvement in working conditions for Underground train drivers in decades. Commuters in East London face even worse news. Unite union bus station controllers and Stagecoach bus drivers at the Bow Garage are scheduled to strike simultaneously on Friday, April 24 over roster changes. The double-impact delays guarantee absolute gridlock for the end of the workweek.