Tube drivers walk out twice over 'fake four-day week' as ridership slumps

London Underground drivers walked out twice at the start of June in a dispute over a new compressed working week, leaving commuters facing suspended services, severe delays and packed buses across the capital. The action, called by the RMT union, brought parts of the network to a standstill and pushed Tube ridership sharply lower on the worst-affected day.

At the heart of the row is what the union has branded an imposed 'fake four-day week'. Transport for London has offered drivers the option of working their hours over four longer days rather than five, with the arrangement being trialled on the Bakerloo line. TfL insists the change is optional and would not increase contractual hours, but the union argues it amounts to five days' work crammed into four, with longer shifts and far less flexibility.

The first walkout caused widespread disruption, and figures released afterwards showed how severely it bit: London Underground usage fell by 41 per cent during the Tuesday strike compared with a normal day, as commuters worked from home, switched to buses and bikes or simply stayed put. The current round of industrial action ended on 5 June, with no further dates immediately announced.

What the dispute is really about

On the surface, a four-day week sounds like a benefit, and that framing has been central to TfL's case. The transport authority says the compressed pattern is a voluntary option that lets drivers fit their existing hours into fewer days, giving them an extra day off without any increase in the total time they are contracted to work.

The RMT sees it very differently. The union argues that the proposal would mean longer individual shifts, raising concerns about fatigue and, by extension, safety on a network that carries millions of passengers a day. It has also objected to drivers being given as little as 24 hours' notice of their shift patterns, which it says strips away the predictability that staff currently rely on to plan their lives.

That clash, between a headline that sounds attractive and the detail of how the hours would actually be worked, has made the dispute unusually hard to resolve. Both sides claim to be defending the interests of drivers and passengers alike, but they disagree fundamentally on whether the new pattern is a perk or a downgrade dressed up as one.

“This is not a genuine four-day week. It is five days of work squeezed into four, with longer shifts, less notice and real risks around fatigue and safety.”

— RMT statement on the Tube dispute

A capital learning to cope

For Londoners, the strikes were a reminder of how dependent the city remains on its Underground network. With many lines offering no service or only a partial one, commuters turned to alternatives that were quickly overwhelmed. Bus routes were rammed, cycle hire docks emptied, and the streets clogged as more people drove or took taxis.

TfL urged passengers to travel only if necessary, to allow extra time and to consider walking or cycling for shorter journeys. Many employers reverted to remote working for the days affected, a flexibility that has become routine since the pandemic and that helped soften the blow for office workers, even as it did little for those in hospitality, retail and other jobs that cannot be done from home.

• Two strikes were held at the start of June, with action ending on 5 June
• London Underground usage fell 41 per cent on the Tuesday strike day
• The compressed four-day pattern is being trialled on the Bakerloo line
• TfL says the change is optional and does not increase contractual hours
• The RMT cites longer shifts, 24 hours' notice and fatigue risks

Background

Industrial relations on the railways have been turbulent for several years, with disputes over pay, pensions and working practices repeatedly disrupting both the national network and London's transport system. The RMT remains one of the most assertive unions in the country, and its willingness to call strikes has made it a frequent adversary of both TfL and central government.

Working patterns have become an increasingly common battleground as employers experiment with flexible and compressed schedules. The Tube dispute is, in effect, a high-profile test of whether such arrangements can be introduced on the railways without the consent of the workforce, and of how much weight safety arguments carry when shift lengths are involved.

What happens next is uncertain. With the current action concluded but no agreement reached, the union has warned that further strikes could be called if talks fail to produce a deal. Commuters will be watching closely, knowing that another walkout could once again bring the capital's transport network to a juddering halt.