Strike action is set to continue this week after 18 months of industrial action, with both the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) and drivers’ union Aslef locked in a long-running dispute over pay and working conditions with rail companies.
Travel on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) will be disrupted this week as members of the RMT who work for TfL operator KeolisAmey Docklands will be engaged in strike action.
The strikes will see services disrupted as TFL encourage commuters to find alternative travel for the affected days.
When are the strikes and which tube lines are affected?
The strikes will impact the DLR tube service on Tuesday 7, Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 November 2023.
In a statement, TfL said no DLR services are expected to run on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 November and any services that do run are expected to start later and finish much earlier than normal.
Services may also have minor disruptions on the morning of Thursday 9 November.
Tube, London Overground, Elizabeth line, Bus and IFS Cloud Cable Car services are not on strike but may be busier than normal.
TFL have warned travellers to plan ahead if commuting on these days, allowing more time for your journeys, checking schedules and considering alternative routes.
Will there be more rail strikes?
In a press statement, the RMT said staff at KeolisAmey Docklands have been offered a pay rise that is less than half the rate of increase in the RPI (retail price index).
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch called on the company to “stand by its commitments rather than holding back on the pay uplift that staff deserved”.
While no further rail strike dates have been announced, RMT has secured a mandate for six more months of strikes across the country after putting a vote to its members on 19 October.
Nearly 20,000 members were balloted across 14 train operating companies, with workers at each company voting in favour of further strikes. Overall 89.9 per cent of members voted to strike on a 63.6 per cent turnout.
RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, said: “I congratulate our members for delivering a decisive mandate for future industrial action as we pursue a negotiated settlement of jobs pay and conditions.
“This ringing endorsement of RMT’s approach to the dispute now means we have industrial leverage to secure an improved offer from the RDG.
“The Government who controls this dispute through a contractual mandate over the train operating companies, must now allow the Rail Delivery Group to put forward a revised offer so we can work towards reaching a settlement.
“However, if no new offer is forthcoming, we will once again take strike action in defence of our members livelihoods.”
Meanwhile, Aslef renewed its strike mandate in July for another six months, meaning its members can strike until after Christmas.
“Our members have decided that we are in this for the long haul,” Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said after the ballot.
He added: “Our members have not, now, had a pay rise for four years – since 2019 – and that’s not right when prices have soared in that time. Train drivers, perfectly reasonably, want to be able to buy now what they could buy four years ago.”
At least two weeks’ notice is given for each action.
The Rail Delivery Group said: “The rail industry is working hard to keep trains running despite the union leaders’ decision to reject an offer which would give their members an 8 per cent pay rise over two years.”
A spokesperson said the offer “remains on the table” and the Rail Delivery Group is “always open to constructive dialogue”.
