London Underground on strike: RMT demands Mayor meets workers’ pleas or face full stoppage
Workers ready to strike over jobs, pensions and conditions
The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has confirmed strike action after London Underground (LU) refused to give solid guarantees on jobs, pensions, and working conditions amid a deep financial crisis sparked by Government cuts. The union accuses the Mayor of London of “talking the talk” on the funding meltdown but failing to stand by his own staff.
ACAS talks collapse – workers feel like pawns in funding row
RMT negotiators proposed a framework during ACAS talks to pause the strike, but LU dragged their feet, blocking any progress. The union said it feels staff are being used as bargaining chips in a tug-of-war between Transport for London (TfL) and the Government. LU confirmed during talks that nothing is off the table — meaning threats to jobs, pensions, conditions, and safety remain very real.
Strike dates set after overwhelming ballot support
More than 10,000 LU members across all grades voted, with a huge 94% backing strike action. The walkout is set for:
- From 00:01 to 23:59 on Tuesday 1st March 2022
- From 00:01 to 23:59 on Thursday 3rd March 2022
RMT boss: Government-engineered crisis hits frontline heroes
“Our members will strike because the Government has deliberately engineered a financial crisis to slash jobs, services, safety, working conditions and pensions,” said RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch.
“These are the same transport workers lauded as heroes during COVID, working under serious personal risk. Now, they’re forced to strike to defend their livelihoods.
“Politicians must realise transport staff won’t foot the bill for this cynical crisis. Alongside strikes, RMT is joining other unions in a resistance campaign. We still want talks to resolve this dispute.”
