November Tube strikes explained – exact dates and lines affected

The London Underground network is set to be shut down or severely disrupted when workers strike on several days in November.

Aslef, the train drivers’ union, and RMT, which represents most other Tube workers, announced the action after rejecting a pay offer from Transport for London (TfL).

Their members will stage walk-outs on various days between November 1 and November 16, with services affected to different degrees depending on the action.

Aslef says members don’t ‘want to make travelling in and around the capital more difficult for passengers and we don’t want to lose a day’s pay’, but is accusing Tube bosses of refusing to ‘sit down properly and negotiate with us’.

TfL said the action is ‘disappointing’ but insists it is still engaged in the talks.

When will the strikes happen?

There are three lots of strikes which will have the most significant impact on the network.

From Sunday, November 3 until Tuesday, November 5, various RMT members including station staff and control centre workers will strike.

RMT signallers and service controllers will strike all day on Wednesday, November 6 and Friday, November 8.

Aslef’s train drivers, instructors and managers will stage 24-hour walkouts on Thursday, November 7 and Tuesday, November 12.

There are other actions happening – such as engineering drivers striking for 24 hours from Friday, November 1 – but these aren’t expected to disrupt travel.

Keep reading to find out how services will be impacted.

Which Tube lines will be affected and how?

Any shutdowns or service reductions are likely to affect all lines evenly, although some may experience more station closures than others.

Aslef strikes typically mean a total shutdown of the Tube network, although TfL insists only one of the union’s actions will have this effect.

Here’s a full list of how TfL expects services to run on the affected dates:

How can I plan my journey in London?

A range of other transport services, including the rest of the TfL network, will still be running during this period.

However DLR, London Overground and Elizabeth line trains may be unable to stop at certain stations which also have Tube lines, as some of these may close.

Bosses expect all working transport services to be ‘extremely busy’ with some delays during this time.

Roads are also expected to be congested due to increased traffic.

Anyone planning to travel on these dates has been urged to allow extra time for journeys and to check the latest status updates before leaving.

Why are the strikes happening?

Aslef said a pay offer of 3.8% plus a variable lump sum means Underground drivers will stay on a lower salary than other drivers working across TfL despiteworking longer hours.

The union claimed it has been ‘forced into this position because LU [London Underground] management won’t sit down properly and negotiate with us.’

Aslef’s London Underground organiser, Finn Brennan, said: ‘Our members voted by over 98% in favour of strike action, but Underground management are still refusing to even discuss key elements of our claim.

‘They refuse to discuss any reduction in the working week or introducing paid meal relief to bring Underground drivers in line with those on the Elizabeth line and London Overground.’

Meanwhile, Mick Lynch, RMT’s general secretary, said the London Underground pay offer ‘falls short of what our members deserve.’

He said the trade union cannot accept ‘any pay proposal where management decide which of our members gets a pay rise and those who do not.’

How has TfL reacted to the strike plan?

A TfL spokesperson told Metro: ‘It is disappointing that ASLEF and the RMT have announced industrial action following our recent discussions over pay, terms and conditions.

‘We have held several constructive discussions with our trade unions and, after considering their feedback, have made a revised offer with an average uplift of 4.6 per cent, which rewards our staff for their hard work and benefits the lowest-paid staff the most.

‘We are engaging with our unions in good faith, having increased our offer since talks began, and have invited our unions to meet again next week. Our offer is fair for our people and affordable for London, and we urge our unions to continue working with us to support London and the wider economy.’

This article was first published on October 25 2024.

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