Travel on one of the world’s busiest metro systems could grind to a halt next week if Monday’s conciliation talks between Transport for London (TfL) and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union fail. Drivers are scheduled to walk out on Tuesday 2 June and Thursday 4 June in protest at a proposed four-day roster that, according to RMT, lengthens individual turns and reduces flexibility. TfL’s chief operating officer Claire Mann urged passengers to “check before you travel” and warned that Circle, Piccadilly and large parts of the Central and Metropolitan lines may see no service at all. Elizabeth line, DLR and London Overground will run but are expected to be “exceptionally busy”, increasing interchange times for air travellers using Paddington Station to reach Heathrow and business visitors transferring at Canary Wharf. The strikes come at a sensitive time: central London hotels are near capacity for a mid-week medical-technology congress at ExCeL and Arsenal FC’s victory parade has already saturated surface transport in north London. Many multinational employers have activated contingency plans, advising staff to work from home or book accommodation within walking distance of meetings. If the dispute is not resolved, analysts estimate the two-day action could cost the capital’s visitor economy up to £40 million and disrupt more than 1.2 million passenger journeys. With pay negotiations across other TfL divisions still unresolved, business-travel managers are bracing for a summer of intermittent walkouts unless a long-term settlement is reached.
Source: LBC
