Seven days of Tube and DLR strikes loom as pay and workload dispute intensifies

London is bracing for travel paralysis next month after the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) confirmed that thousands of Underground workers will stage seven days of strike action from 5 September. The union says the walkouts come after prolonged disputes over pay, workload and staff wellbeing, and warned that tensions with London Underground management have reached breaking point.

The strikes will coincide with a separate row on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), where RMT members are also set to stage industrial action during the week beginning 7 September. The dual walkouts will bring parts of the capital’s transport network to a standstill, piling pressure on commuters, businesses and the city’s economy.

Negotiations between union leaders and London Underground management have dragged on for months, with discussions covering demands on pay, fatigue management, gruelling shift patterns and a reduction to the current 35-hour working week. Yet, according to RMT, management has failed to engage seriously with workers’ concerns.

Eddie Dempsey, the RMT’s general secretary, issued a sharp rebuke of London Underground’s approach. “Our members are doing a fantastic job to keep our capital moving and working strenuous shift patterns to make sure Londoners get to their destinations around the clock,” he said. “They are not after a king’s ransom, but fatigue and extreme shift rotations are serious issues impacting our members’ health and wellbeing – all of which have not been adequately addressed for years by LU management.”

Dempsey warned that unresolved matters, such as staff travel arrangements, had further poisoned relations between workers and bosses. “An atmosphere of distrust has been created, where our members feel like no one is listening to them,” he added. Despite the threat of strikes, the RMT leader insisted the union remained open to dialogue. “RMT will continue to engage LU management with a view to seeking a revised offer in order to reach a negotiated settlement.”

The union’s position highlights a widening gulf between frontline staff and management. Workers insist that relentless shifts, combined with mounting fatigue, pose not only a risk to their health but also to passenger safety. Underground staff argue that decades of under-investment and inaction have compounded the strain on an already stretched workforce.

Transport for London (TfL), however, insists it has already taken steps to address staff grievances. A spokesperson for the organisation confirmed that management recently met with RMT representatives to discuss specific issues. “We are committed to ensuring our colleagues are treated fairly and, as well as offering a 3.4% pay increase in our ongoing pay discussions, we have made progress on a number of commitments we have made previously,” the spokesperson said.

TfL also pushed back firmly against the union’s demand for a shorter working week. “We welcome further engagement with our unions about fatigue and rostering across London Underground, but a reduction in the contractual 35-hour working week is neither practical nor affordable,” the spokesperson added.

The transport authority has urged the union to present its offer to members rather than pursue disruptive strike action. “Given the improvements we have recently put in place in response to concerns raised by our unions, we urge the RMT to put our fair, affordable pay offer to their members and to continue to engage with us rather than threaten strike action, which will only disrupt Londoners.”

As the deadline approaches, Londoners face the grim prospect of grinding to a halt in early September. With both Tube and DLR staff threatening simultaneous action, the capital could experience its most severe transport disruption in years.