Travellers in London have been warned of severe disruption to Tube services following the Jubilee weekend because of a strike by thousands of workers in a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will walk out for 24 hours on Monday June 6, as well as taking action short of strike from Friday June 3 to Sunday July 10, meaning station staff might not work overtime or rest days.
Transport for London (TfL) said journeys may be affected by this and short-notice station closures are possible.
TfL said it expects to run a service during the June 3 to July 10 action, including the Platinum Jubilee weekend, and plans to keep all stations open, but advised customers to check before they travel.
TfL warned of severe disruption across the network from the start of service on Monday June 6 to 8am on Tuesday June 7, with many stations – especially those in the centre of the capital – closed.
London underground
Ian West
Those stations that can be opened may only do so for limited periods and the situation is likely to change throughout the day depending on whether TfL has enough staff to safely keep stations open.
People are advised to avoid travelling on the Tube on Monday June 6 unless necessary.
TfL chief operating officer Andy Lord said: “We are doing our utmost to make the Platinum Jubilee weekend one to remember and I can assure our customers we are working hard to minimise the impact of the RMT’s frustrating strike action.
“Our advice to Londoners and visitors is to check before they make their journeys in case of any short-notice closures.
“On Monday June 6 we advise anyone who needs to use the Tube to consider whether they are able to work from home and only travel if necessary on this day.
“We are expecting severe disruption, which will continue into the morning of Tuesday June 7 too.
“I apologise to customers for this and understand they will be frustrated by this strike action but urge them not to take it out on those who are trying to help.
“We haven’t proposed any changes to pensions, and nobody has or will lose their jobs because of the proposals we have set out.
“We know our customers deserve better than this and that is why we’re urging the RMT to call off this action and work with us to find a resolution to this dispute, which is threatening London’s recovery from the pandemic.”