Tube strike to prolong working from home

Business chiefs say action is ‘regrettable after capital tries to return to normal after two tumultuous years’

The return to work after the bank holiday is to be derailed by a Tube strike in London today, with office staff told to work from home. Transport for London advised against travelling on the network unless it was essential and business groups said that employers would have to put more flexible working policies in place, as 4,000 station staff prepare to go on strike. Large parts of the network may be out of action after the RMT union called a strike over job losses and pensions.

THE return to work after the bank holiday is set to be derailed by a Tube strike in London today, with office staff told to work from home.

Transport for London advised against travelling on the network unless it was essential and business groups said that employers would have to put more flexible working policies in place, as 4,000 station staff prepare to go on strike.

Large parts of the network may be out of action after the RMT union called a strike over job losses and concerns that pension entitlements could be watered down by TFL which has proposed not filling about 500 to 600 posts as they become vacant.

The body is under pressure from the Government to find savings after the pandemic badly affected its finances.

TFL said some train services will run but many stations, especially those in central and south London, are set to be closed, while others may only open for limited periods.

Other TFL services, including DLR, London Overground and trams, are not affected by the industrial action and will be running but will be busier.

Anneka Hendrick, director of the CBI business group, said: “Strike action is particularly regrettable at a time when the economy is under such strain, so constructive dialogue to avert industrial action continues to be a priority.

“While many workplaces have already struck a balance between home and office working, those which rely on the [Tube] will need to demonstrate even greater short-term flexibility.”

Last month, Boris Johnson unveiled plans to cut 91,000 civil service jobs, as Jacob Rees-mogg the minister in charge of government efficiency, told The Daily Telegraph of his “suspicions” that some are working from home on Mondays and Fridays as they “think that the working week is shorter than it really is”.

Data have shown that lockdown home-working habits are persisting more in London than any other major capital as City professionals and civil servants stay away from the office.

Richard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the business community was “extremely disappointed that the RMT has called for a mass walkout”.

“The last two years hit London disproportionately hard and the capital is [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.”

The RMT union said its “members deserve a negotiated pay increase that addresses the rising cost of living”.

Yesterday, a union said England and Wales should get four more bank holidays because workers deserve more breaks. Frances O’grady, the TUC general secretary, said: “It’s not fair on UK workers to get so few public holidays.

“They work just as hard as people in other nations who get a lot more.”