Huge queues at major train station as Tube strikes enter fourth day
A crush of commuters formed outside Farringdon station as millions of commuters tried to get home amid Tube strikes.
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Commuters waited in the rain outside Farringdon train station as Londoners sought alternative routes around the city.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are taking part in a week-long walkout which has paralysed Tube services.
RMT leader Eddie Dempsey said there had been a "collapse" in industrial relations, which he warned could lead to more industrial action.
As the strike enters its fourth day, no talks are planned to try to resolve the dispute over pay and hours.
TfL has offered a 3.4 per cent pay rise which it described as "fair" and said it cannot afford to meet the RMT’s demand for a cut in the working week.
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Nick Dent, London Underground’s director of customer operations, said union demands for a cut in the 35-hour week were "simply unaffordable" and would cost hundreds of millions of pounds.
The last Tube-wide strike was three years ago, over pay and pensions, but Mr Dent said this week’s action will be different because separate groups of workers will walk out on different days.
"It will be very damaging for us," he added.
An RMT spokesperson said: "We are not going on strike to disrupt small businesses or the public.
"This strike is going ahead because of the intransigent approach of TfL management and their refusal to even consider a small reduction in the working week in order to help reduce fatigue and the ill-health effects of long-term shift work on our members.
"We believe a shorter working week is fair and affordable, particularly when you consider TfL has a surplus of £166 million last year and a £10 billion annual operating budget."