TfL Tube strike latest: Londoners brace for travel misery as walkout set to begin this evening

 
Strike action: Services on the entire Tube network will grind to a halt from this evening (Picture: Jeremy Sellwyn)
Jeremy Selwyn
Robin de Peyer8 July 2015

Londoners were today braced for travel misery as a 24-hour Tube strike was set to wreak havoc from this evening.

Services on the entire Underground network are to grind to a halt from 6.30pm, crippling services until Friday morning.

The Tube is expected to become "exceptionally busy" from around 4pm this afternoon as Londoners attempt to make their journeys home from work before the walkout begins.

Commuters were already venting their frustrations this morning.

Richie Jones, a 31-year-old payroll manager from Clapham, said he was "livid" about the planned strike action.

"I appreciate that we all have the right to fight for a better life, but when you hold an entire city to ransom to get that better life it starts to get a little annoying," he said.

"I find it highly frustrating; my partner is a paramedic who works 12 hour shifts which on a day to day basis involving saving peoples lives and turning up to some horrific scenes, yet doesn't get paid anything near what the tube drivers get paid. How is this fair?"

Another frustrated commuter posted online: "Another Tube strike - losing sympathy now... what about the poor people who lose money unable to get to work."

Another wrote: "Right Tube strike, let's see how much you can muck up the next two days commuting for work."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tube strike AGAIN. Messing with everyone's plans for no good reason. I have zero sympathy with them.— D Wood (@Dorothy_Wood) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Dorothy_Wood/status/618663476458864640" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-9851-https://twitter.com/Dorothy_Wood/status/618663476458864640" data-vars-event-id="c23">July 8, 2015</a>

The problems for commuters are due to be compounded by a separate 48-hour strike being staged by First Great Western staff in a row over jobs and the maintenance of new Hitachi trains.

Services from London Paddington to Wales and the West Country will be disrupted, affecting commuters and cricket fans going to Cardiff for the Ashes Test.

London Underground said Tubes will start running down from 5pm. There will be no services on Thursday and the hangover from the walkout could cause problems into Friday morning.

London Overground trains and rail services (other than FGW trains) will not be affected. Extra buses are running from this evening but they are expected to be exceptionally busy.

Tubes are expected to be 'exceptionally busy' from 4pm (Picture: Getty)

Almost 20,000 members of four trade unions will strike in the row over the new Night Tube services.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union, Aslef, Transport Salaried Staffs Association and Unite have been in dispute over pay being offered for the new service, due to start at weekends from mid-September, as well as rosters.

A "final" offer from managers included an average 2 per cent rise this year and £2,000 for drivers on the new all-night service.

Mike Brown, managing director of LU, said he was "gutted" that the unions had not responded to the "fair and reasonable" offer.

"It would have been good if we could have had some talks, because none of the unions responded to the offer.

"If they are not prepared to talk to us they should go back to their members because this is a vastly different offer.

"All we have heard is a series of speeches from trade union leaders, condemning us for communicating with our staff.

"The offer is still there and we are available to talk about it. I am amazed we have had no response."

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "Despite strenuous efforts by union negotiators to press London Underground to address the issues of fairness, safety, work/life balance and equality at the heart of this dispute, they have come up with nothing in the talks.

"The action is on and RMT will be mobilising picket lines and effective action with our sister unions and there are no further talks planned at this stage."

Finn Brennan, Aslef's organiser on the Tube said: "The responsibility for this strike and the disruption that it will cause rests squarely with London Underground management.

"They have played foolish games of brinkmanship, taking their offer off the table then denying they had done so.

"We will be ready to return to the negotiating table on Friday morning to ensure that further action can be avoided."

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