What is the Tube strike about and when does it end?

1 March 2022, 13:03

London Tube strikes have caused chaos for commuters
London Tube strikes have caused chaos for commuters. Picture: Getty/Alamy

By Zoe Adams

The RMT has TfL London Tube strikes planned for two days this week but what are the dates and times? And exactly why are they striking? Here’s the latest on the Underground closures that’s caused chaos across the city this morning.

Londoners face severe delays across all Tube lines today and on Thursday as the RMT union has called for strike action.

Set to take place over two days, those requiring TfL lines such as the Central, Jubilee, District, Circle and Hammersmith and City face severe delays due to around 10,000 underground workers going on strike.

So what is the strike about? In short, the RMT are fighting against what they say is a potential threat to jobs and pensions for staff members following a planned scheme to save huge amounts of money on the London Underground.

Related article: Tube strikes are making London 'unliveable': Furious commuters lash out after latest walkout

Related article: Tube strike: Last-ditch talks ahead of Tuesday's walkout by 10,000 TfL staff

Here’s everything you need to know about the TfL tube strike including, in detail, what the strike is about, what tube lines are on strike and when it starts and ends.

Commuters battle against tube strikes in London

What is the tube strike about?

Overall, the RMT believes there is a huge threat to jobs and TfL pensions in order to save money in the future.

Following an independent review commissioned by Mayor Sadiq Khan before the Coronavirus pandemic, changing and altering the TfL pension scheme could save £100m a year.

TfL also announced plans to axe around 600 station jobs to save further funds.

The RMT press office said: “10,000 tube workers are taking strike action today, (Tuesday) after London Underground bosses refused to rule out job cuts and detrimental changes to pensions.”

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Our members will be taking strike action because a financial crisis at London Underground has been deliberately engineered by the Government to drive a cuts’ agenda which would savage jobs, services, safety and threaten their working conditions and pensions.

“The sheer scale of that threat was confirmed in talks."

RMT Union members are on strike to protect jobs and pensions
RMT Union members are on strike to protect jobs and pensions. Picture: Alamy

When does the tube strike start and end? Dates and times revealed

The London Underground strike will take place on Tuesday 1 and Thursday March 3 from one minute past midnight until one minute to midnight.

These TfL strikes will also cause severe disruption to travel on Wednesday 2 and Friday March 4 as services try to recover.

So far, all further tube strikes are planned to go ahead.

What tube lines are on strike?

The majority of London tube lines are closed or suspended. This includes:

Bakerloo

Central

Circle

District

Hammersmith and City

Jubilee

London Overground

Metropolitan

Northern

Piccadilly

Victoria

Waterloo and City

The Overground, TfL Rail, the DLR, London Trams and National Rail will be running on strike days.