London’s Night Tube drivers to stage strike on reopening date in row over staffing

Union says drivers’ work-life balance under threat

Strikes are set for four weekends running from reopening (PA)

Plans for the reopening of the London Underground’s Night Tube service look in doubt as drivers are set to strike over a staffing dispute.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said it had called its members to action over what it described as intolerable demands on staff ahead of the reopening of the service.

Drivers on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines plan to stage 24-hour strikes from 4.30am on 26 November and 18 December.

Further strikes are planned on the Central and Victoria lines every Friday and Saturday night between those dates.

The decision was taken after talks between the RMT and Transport for London (TfL), failed to reach an agreement.

The union said the dispute would not have occurred had management retained dedicated Night Tube staff. TfL said the strikes were “unnecessary”.

The RMT said the reopening would wreck the work-life balance for tube staff through additional night and weekend work.

The Night Tube, which first ran in 2016, has been out of service for more than a year due to the pandemic.

Tens of thousands of people signed a petition calling for the service to be resumed to improve women's safety at night.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “No one has worked harder to ensure a safe environment for women on London Underground than the RMT.

“While Tube bosses have axed staff and left stations routinely unstaffed, with all of the obvious risks, we have campaigned relentlessly for the front line, physical presence of visible staff on stations and platforms.

“We are now being repaid by the imposition of working arrangements that would wreck the work-life balance of our members.

“All of this was avoidable if the Tube management hadn't axed dedicated Night Tube staff and perfectly workable arrangements in order to cut staffing numbers and costs.

“It's that action which has led us to make today's announcement.

“RMT supports the reintroduction of the Night Tube but we know full well that prior to its suspension during the pandemic it was a magnet for violent, abusive and anti-social behaviour.

“We warned months ago that slashing 200 Night Tube train driver positions would create a staffing nightmare and [TfL] need to start facing up to that reality.

“The union remains available for talks.”

Nick Dent, director of customer operations for London Underground, said: “We are disappointed that the RMT is threatening London with this unnecessary action.

“The positive changes to Tube driver rosters have provided greater flexibility for drivers as well as permanent work and job certainty, something welcomed by all other unions.

“We have been meeting with the RMT for a number of months through Acas to try and resolve their issues and we remain open to talking further.”