WORLD WORLDWIDE EUROPE Uk uk United Kingdom - news journal Update - (en) Uk, ACG: London transport workers on strike (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

 Over 11,000 workers on London Underground and on Docklands Light Railway

(DLR) went on a week-long series of rolling strikes, starting on Friday,
September 5th. The vote for the strike stood at 96 per cent on a 59 per
cent turnout. Tube workers voted against a 3.1 per cent pay offer,
whilst DLR workers rejected an even more ludicrous 2.6 per cent pay
offer. ---- Transport for London (TfL) have not given the pay rise that
was due in April. In addition, workers are aggrieved at the longer hours
they are working., want extra pay for working Boxing Day, and travel
discounts on rail fares, the last an unfulfilled promise from TfL.
Workers see that management is awarding itself 22% pay rises and large
bonuses. For example, TfL commissioner Andy Lord saw his annual income
rise to the incredible level of £639,000!! The bosses have imposed a
"compressed" working week, meaning workers have to work longer before
getting a rest day. One of the demands put forward by the RMT union was
for a 32-hour week.

The strike was solid, with many picket lines having a large turnout.

The transport bosses say they don't have the money to pay workers, yet
have given themselves massive pay increases and bonuses. At the same
time, there are 2,000 less workers on the London transport system than
before Covid, whilst the number of users has almost gone back to
pre-Covid level.

As a result, many stations are left unattended for long periods or
understaffed. The management have not filled vacancies, leading to
workers having to do more work, and suffering stress and fatigue, with a
knock-on effect of increasing the chances of accidents.

In fact, for the year 2024-2025 TfL made £166 million, through increased
usage and the selling off of assets, as well as by their ongoing attacks
on workers.

Meanwhile the press conducted a slanderous campaign against the
transport workers, citing pay of £70,000 plus for drivers. In fact,
average pay for many is between £25,000 and £27,000.

The strike was solid and effective, but workers need to go beyond the
tactic of rolling strikes to all out action if they want to wrest any
gains from the employers. They also need to keep an eye on the union
leadership, who are watering down the original demand for a 32 hour week
to  "working towards" that goal.

At the same time, concerted action by the London transport workers
demonstrates the potential power of our class, the working class, to
stop the workings of capitalism in its tracks.

https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2025/09/14/london-transport-workers-on-strike/
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