The industrial action, called by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, is related to a dispute over plans to introduce a voluntary four-day working week, which would condense Tube drivers’ weekly hours.
The RMT union has called the plan “fake” and said it raised “serious concerns from our members about shift length and resulting fatigue impacting safety”.
RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said union members had “approached negotiations with Transport for London (TfL) in good faith” but “TfL seem unwilling to make any concessions”.
Claire Mann, TfL’s chief operating officer, defended the proposal, saying it would allow drivers an extra day off and bring the Underground “in line with the working patterns of other train operating companies”.
“The changes would be voluntary,” she said. “There would be no reduction in contractual hours and those who wish to continue a five-day working week pattern would be able to do so.”
