Unions threaten to strike for 'as long as it takes' as millions face more travel chaos in London
18 August 2022, 23:10 | Updated: 19 August 2022, 09:15
Rail unions have warned disruptive strikes on trains and buses will go on "as long as it takes" as millions face another day of travel havoc on Friday.
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RMT and Unite members at London's Tube, Overground and some of its bus drivers have walked out, largely grinding the capital to a halt.
TfL has told people to only travel if they need to until 8am on Saturday.
On Friday morning all lines apart from the Elizabeth Line and DLR were either suspended, part suspended or experiencing severe delays.
There is no service at all on the Bakerloo, Circle, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Piccadilly, Victoria and Waterloo & City lines.
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The Elizabeth Line is running between 7am and 10.30pm, after which trains may not stop at all stations in the central section.
TfL also said there is no Night Tube.
There is also disruption to bus services in west and south-west London and parts of Surrey, with TfL saying 63 bus routes are affected.
There is also no Night Bus on affected routes on Friday and Saturday.
Andy Lord, TfL's chief operating officer, said: "I would like to apologise to our customers for the strike action being carried out by RMT and Unite, which will have a significant impact on the city's transport network."
Read more: Tube, train and bus strike dates: When are the walkouts set to cripple UK in August
He added: "Customers should check before they travel from 18-21 August, as strike action is impacting different modes of transport each day.
"For 19 August, we are urging our customers to avoid travelling on the Tube and only travel if essential on the rest of the network.
"We expect little to no service on the Tube until 8am on Saturday 20 August and alternative travel modes are likely to be busy. Please consider walking and cycling if you need to travel."
General secretary of the RMT Mick Lynch said of Friday's strikes: "We are seeking the support of the public in this fight to protect not only Tube workers but the service levels expected for a major city like London."
Read more: Rail misery as thousands of workers strike again in row over pay, jobs and conditions
Mr Lynch has also claimed London Tube bosses were secretly speaking to the Government about making workers pay to cut costs amid the service's funding crisis, which he said was caused by the Government.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "Discussions on TfL funding are ongoing with the Government, but TfL has been clear that nobody has or will lose their jobs because of the proposals previously set out, and that all changes are always subject to full consultation with staff and trade unions."
"Sadiq has also been clear that the Government should not use TfL employee terms and conditions as a bargaining tool in funding negotiations.”
Starmer says he is 'absolutely' on the side of workers
It comes after UK-wide strikes on Thursday left just a fifth of trains running and parts of the country with no services at all.
Tens of thousands of Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and Unite members walked out over an ongoing fight over pay, jobs and conditions – with unions pointing the blame squarely at transport secretary Grant Shapps.
Manuel Cortes, TSSA general secretary, warned during Thursday's strikes: "Unless a negotiated settlement which is acceptable to our members is reached, this dispute will continue for as long as it takes."
A Department for Transport spokesperson said on Thursday: "Yet again, for the sixth time since June, union leaders are opting to inflict misery and disrupt the day-to-day lives of millions instead of working with industry to agree a deal that will bring our railways into the 21st century."
They added: "It's clear strikes are not the powerful tool they once were and union chiefs are no longer able to bring the country to a standstill as, unlike them, the world has changed and people simply work from home.
"All these strikes are doing is hurting those people the unions claim to represent, many of whom will again be out of pocket and forced to miss a day's work.
"We urge union bosses to do the right thing by their members and let them have their say on Network Rail's very fair deal, which will deliver the reforms our rail system urgently needs.
"It's time to get off the picket lines and back around the negotiating table - the future of our railway depends on it."
Speaking to LBC, Sir Keir Starmer, who banned top Labour MPs from attending picket lines, said he is "absolutely" behind workers who have decided to strike.
