Bad news, Londoners: tube strikes have been called for November

Ah, what a blissfully strike-free time this past few months has been. London’s rail network hasn’t seen a strike since way back in April, and there hasn’t been a full-scale tube strike since March 2023.

But today (October 16) that relatively peaceful, strike-free period officially comes to an end. Tube strikes have been called by both the ASLEF and RMT unions, impacting the entire London Underground network. 

You’ll want to plan ahead to make sure you aren’t impacted too much by the strikes, which will take place in some form or other for half the entire month. From the dates to how much London’s transport network will be affected, here’s what we know so far about the industrial action. 

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Confirmed London Underground strike dates in November

The ASLEF strikes will take place on Thursday November 7 and Tuesday November 12. The union’s members will also take part in an overtime ban from November 3 to November 16. 

ASLEF members going on strike include drivers, instructors, management grades, and members in the engineering section.

The RMT strikes will take place between November 1 and November 8, but not all members will be on strike at the same time. Here’s the breakdown.

• November 1-2: Engineering Vehicles Operations and Maintenance staff will strike from 6pm on November 1 to 5.59pm on November 2, with no overtime until November 8.       
• November 3-4: Track Access Controllers, Control Centre, and Power/Control staff will strike from 6.59pm on November 3 to 6.59pm on November 4. 
• November 4: Emergency Response Unit (ERU) staff will strike for 24 hours.
• November 5: Fleet, Engineering, Stations, and Trains staff (except ERU and Engineering Vehicles Operations and Maintenance) will strike for 24 hours
• November 6-8: Signallers and Service Controllers will strike for 24 hours on 6th November, with further strikes on 7th and 8th November.

What lines will be impacted?

For the ASLEF strikes on November 7 and 12, expect pretty much the entire London Underground network to be impacted. 

Why are workers striking?

RMT workers are protesting a ‘wholly inadequate’ pay offer from London Underground, saying that current proposals exclude large numbers of staff from collective bargaining. ASLEF workers are walking out in a dispute over pay, specifically about a pay agreement for 2024.

What’s been said about the strikes?

Finn Brennan, ASLEF’s organiser on London Underground, said: ‘We don’t want to go on strike – we don’t want to make travelling in and around the capital more difficult for passengers and we don’t want to lose a day’s pay – but we have been forced into this position because LU management won’t sit down properly and negotiate with us. 

‘Six months after the date that a pay agreement for 2024 should have been implemented, ASLEF’s executive committee has given notice that our members on London Underground will take strike action to achieve a fair deal on pay and working conditions.’

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘London Underground’s pay offer falls short of what our members deserve. It threatens to remove collective bargaining for a growing portion of staff, pushing them into pay bands that are decided solely by management. This undermines our members’ rights and the core principles of fair negotiation. 

‘No trade union can accept any pay proposal where management decide which of our members gets a pay rise and those who do not.

‘We have repeatedly urged London Underground to offer a deal that ensures all staff are covered by collective bargaining, yet management remains fixated on imposing pay structures without our agreement.’

In response, transport commissioner Andy Lord said: ‘I’m disappointed that ASLEF and RMT members have voted in favour of industrial action following our recent discussions over pay.

‘It’s extremely disappointing that Aslef have announced two days of industrial action in November on London Underground, despite our offer being fair and reasonable.’

When will the tube strikes end?

Tube strikes will only end when an agreement is reached between unions and the London Underground. The agreement is different to the one ASLEF reached with the Rail Delivery Group in September.

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