Tube strike today: TfL warns passengers to avoid travel during 24-hour union walkout

"With 600 frontline station staff jobs being cut... we have no alternative as a trade union but to stand up and fight back," the RMT said during Monday morning's rush hour

Commuters faced chaos on Monday as a London Underground strike caused major disruption.

There was severe disruption across the network on the first working day after the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday period as 4,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union who work at Tube stations conducted a 24-hour walkout.

The strike is part of a dispute over jobs and pensions.

A reduced timetable was operating on some London Underground sections, with services suspended elsewhere.

Many stations, especially those in central and south London, were closed, causing long queues for buses.

London Underground advised people not to travel.

Construction worker Miguel Basantes was stranded at Paddington station as he tried to get to work in Hampstead.

The 54-year-old described the situation as "chaos".

He went on: "In Liverpool Street there were crowds of people and I was waiting for 20 or 30 minutes.

"I don't know how to get to work."

Restaurant worker Kundan Darla, 25, said: "I think it is bad, I am too late for work."

'Not great but what can you do about it?'

Frustrated passengers gathered around the entrance to Waterloo station.

Charlotte from Surbiton, said she was unsure if she would be able to complete her journey to Canary Wharf.

"We'll see if anything opens up, and I'll go home if it doesn't," she said.

"I'm pretty sure everyone will be delayed coming in today."

She said she had been traveling for almost an hour already, adding that she did not feel the industrial action was justified.

"I don't necessarily see the reason for the strike," she said.

"It doesn't necessarily feel like it's justified to cause this much disruption, especially when London is getting up and running again. It seems like a big setback for the city."

What lines will be hit by today's Tube strike - and is the Elizabeth Line affected?

Most London Underground lines operated by TfL are expected to be affected.Other TfL services, including the London Overground and Trams, and are rail services, are not affected by the industrial action and will be running.

However journeys using those services that will remain open during the strike are all expected to be heavily impacted and be busier than usual.

Andy Lord, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: “I’d like to apologise to London for the impact this strike will have on journeys tomorrow and on Tuesday morning.

“We know it’s going to be damaging to London and the economy at a time when public transport is playing a crucial role in the capital’s recovery.

“While our focus is always on helping everyone travel around London whenever they want, the expected impact of the RMT’s action means we have to advise people to only travel tomorrow if necessary, as many stations may be closed.

“Alternatives to the Tube, including the bus and rail networks, are likely to be much busier than usual and we expect the severe disruption caused by this strike to continue into the morning of Tuesday 7 June."

Why are Tube workers striking?

TfL said no proposals have been tabled on pensions or terms and conditions, and nobody will lose their jobs because of the proposals it has set out.

As part of previous funding agreements, the Government has required TfL to work towards achieving financial sustainability on its operations by April 2023.

TfL has proposed not recruiting into around 500 to 600 posts as they become vacant.

Mr Lord said on Sunday: “No changes have been proposed to pensions and nobody has or will lose their job as a result of the proposals we have set out. My message to the RMT is this – it’s not too late to call off tomorrow’s strike action.

“Working with us to find a resolution is the best course of action, avoiding the disruption this strike will cause to Londoners and the economy.”

The RMT said that under current proposals, 600 jobs will be lost, working agreements will be torn up and the looming threat to pensions remains in place.

General secretary Mick Lynch said: “We are demanding a direct face-to-face meeting with Mayor Sadiq Khan to sort this mess out.

“There’s no point in our union continuing to sit opposite management representatives who have neither the inclination nor the authority to negotiate a settlement, when the power lies with the Mayor.

Richard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “We are extremely disappointed that the RMT has called for a mass walkout by TfL workers in such close proximity to the Queen’s Jubilee Weekend when London will be full of visitors.

“The last two years hit London disproportionately hard and the capital is desperately trying to claw back some sense of normality after a tumultuous two years.

“This strike now puts TfL in a position of having to recommend that Londoners work from home.

“Ultimately, this will only harm London’s economy and it is time for TfL to sort out their dispute with the RMT so we can get back to building prosperity and showing the world that London is open business.”

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