Green Party backs Tube strikes that are causing commuter chaos

Londoners braced for a third consecutive day of travel chaos this afternoon as Underground drivers go on strike from midday in another 24-hour walkout.

The Tube strike has seen lines suspended, costing the economy up to £250million - while the Green Party has given its backing to the £72,000-a-year drivers.

Members of the militant Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will walk out for the second time this week, after the first 24-hour strike began at noon on Tuesday.

Hundreds of thousands of commuters will again have to walk, cycle or take buses with some working from home - as pub chains reported one of their 'lowest trading days to date' and hospitality firms were told bookings could fall by up to two thirds.

The Piccadilly and Circle lines will shut, as will sections of the Metropolitan and Central lines. Other lines are set to have a reduced service which will end early.

RMT leaders are resisting the introduction by Transport for London (TfL) of a four-day working week, which they claim could raise fatigue and compromise safety.

Picket lines will again be mounted outside Underground stations - and two more strikes are planned on May 19 to 22 and June 16 to 19 unless the row is resolved.

The RMT was backed by Green Party London Assembly leader Caroline Russell who said: 'The drivers are raising really important issues about their working conditions that ultimately affect safety. What's important is that TfL listens and engages with the striking drivers so that their issues can be addressed through dialogue.'

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But Conservative transport spokesman Richard Holden told The Standard: 'We can see the chaos the Greens would bring to Britain. Strikes, disruption, and making ordinary working people pay the price for their weird far-left ideological politics.

'Conservatives will always side with the passengers over the picket line, with workers over wreckers, with Britain over the union bosses.'

Reform UK's London mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham claimed the Greens were a 'danger to London', adding: 'Instead of standing up for working Londoners, the Green Party has chosen to back the very strikers that are holding them hostage.'

Pubs and restaurants fear losing more trade today and tomorrow because of the industrial action as fewer workers than normal have travelled to offices.

How will the new Tube strikes impact you?

Tube services will run normally from the start of servcice this morning, but reduce from mid‑morning onwards.

Significant disruption will begin from midday when the strike action starts.

A reduced service will run across most lines but, no service is expected on the Piccadilly and Circle lines.

No service is expected on the Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate.

No service is expected on the Central line between White City and Liverpool Street.

Any services that do run will be less frequent, very busy, and passengers may not be able to board the first train.

Strike action will run until midday tomorrow, after which services will begin to recover through the afternoon.

During the strikes, other TfL services including Elizabeth line, DLR, London Overground, Trams and most bus routes are expected to be running normally, although they are likely to be very busy.

Tomorrow, a separate 24-hour bus strike starting from 5am will impact seven routes in East London.

The walkout will hit the 8, 25, 205, 425, N8, N25 and N205 services.

Mark Reynolds, director of the Three Cheers Pub Group, said the strikes had 'destroyed' trade at its Trafalgar Pub in Chelsea on Tuesday.

He told The Standard: 'We're looking at one of our lowest trading days to date. It's incredibly frustrating for businesses who are impacted negatively. There is no compensation in the form of business rates or rent reductions.'

TfL said service levels will vary across the network and urged passengers to check before they travel.

No service is expected across the Circle and Piccadilly lines, while there will be no Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate and no service on the Central line between White City and Liverpool Street. Significant disruption is expected on all other lines if services do run.

Other TfL services including the Elizabeth line, Docklands Light Railway, London Overground and Trams will be running normally but are likely to be very busy.

Tube services ran normally from the start of service this morning but will reduce from mid‑morning onwards, and there will be significant disruption from midday today when the strike starts.

Strike action will continue until midday tomorrow, after which services will begin to recover - but disruption will continue into the evening.

Meanwhile seven bus routes in East London operated by Stagecoach will also be affected by a separate 24-hour strike from 5am tomorrow.

The walkout will hit the 8, 25, 205, 425, N8, N25 and N205 services, with 300 drivers expected to take part.

Other buses across the capital are expected to run as normal.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research told City AM that the combined direct costs of the three Tube strikes taking place this week and in May and June could total between £360million and £760million - an average of up to £253million for each one.

The last five-day RMT Tube strike in September 2025 cost TfL between £20million and £25million in lost fares.

Live cycle data from Camden Council suggests more than 10,000 people cycled through Bloomsbury Way in the heart of the West End on Tuesday, up 75 per cent on the daily average.

A sign warns passengers that the Piccadilly line is closed during the Tube strike yesterday

Tube trains parked up at Neasden depot in North West London during the strike yesterday

Transport hire app Voi, which has some 4,000 e-bikes and thousands of e-scooters in London, says it saw a 52 per cent increase in the number of rides taken on its vehicles, as well as a 110 per cent spike in new users.

Workers at Amazon normally expected to travel into the City spent Tuesday at home, the Financial Times reported, while JP Morgan bankers were reportedly told to negotiate with managers over working from home.

It comes as campaigners called for TfL to break the 'stranglehold' the RMT holds over the capital by opening Tube driver jobs to external candidates.

The lucrative roles are almost never advertised to ordinary Londoners due to an agreement stuck with the union, who fear allowing in outsiders could weaken 'workforce solidarity'.

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A TfL source insisted there was no ban on external recruitment, but the agreement with the unions requires any vacant positions to be advertised internally first. At this point, they are rapidly filled.

This contrasts by the approach taken by train companies, which regularly advertise for train drivers on public forums.

William Yarwood, campaigns director at the TaxPayers' Alliance, told the Mail: 'It is an insult to Londoners that these closed shop roles remain a private members' club for union buddies.

'By blocking external recruitment, unions kill off competition and artificially inflate wages, leaving taxpayers to bankroll a gold-plated payroll for a protected few.'

TfL insiders said that internal candidates bring 'useful system-specific knowledge' and suggested the policy of favouring existing staff was 'not unusual' across the British economy.

But Mr Yarwood called for the policy to be immediately reversed - even if that would inevitably mean yet another walkout by union members.

'TfL must break this stranglehold and open recruitment to the open market immediately to ensure the best value for commuters and taxpayers alike,' he said.

RMT boss Eddie Dempsey said: 'We have approached negotiations with TfL in good faith throughout this entire process. But despite our best efforts, TfL seem unwilling to make any concessions in a bid to avert strike action.

Commuters pack onto buses yesterday as the Tube strike causes major travel disruption

A man looks at an information board outside a Covent Garden Underground station yesterday

'This is extremely disappointing and has baffled our negotiators. The approach of TfL is not one which leads to industrial peace and will infuriate our members who want to see a negotiated settlement to this avoidable dispute.'

The RMT represents a majority of Underground staff, including train drivers, station staff and maintenance workers.

Aslef, which also represents Tube drivers, has accepted the changes, which would cut the average driver's working week from 36 to 35 hours.

An Aslef spokesperson said its union was 'surprised' that the RMT was going on strike, adding: 'It will be the first strike in the history of the trade union movement designed to stop people having a shorter working week and more time off'.

A Tube driver earns around £71,170 per year as a base salary, with total earnings often reaching £75,000 to £80,000 when overtime and allowances are included.

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Most are enrolled into the TfL pension fund, which requires drivers to pay in 5 per cent of their salary for an employer contributions of more than 33 per cent. Other perks include free TfL travel and 75 per cent off train season tickets.

Tube drivers do not require prior qualifications other than GCSEs in maths and English and training takes around six months.

On most Underground lines, the trains are semi-autonomous. This means a machine handles stopping and starting, with drivers operating doors and handling emergencies.

Hospitality AI tech company Access Hospitality said it expected hospitality bookings at London businesses to fall by up to 67 per cent and walk-in drop by nearly 70 per cent, based on data collected during the last Tube strike.

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: 'In a typical week, London's pubs generate approximately £80million in GVA (gross value added) between Tuesday and Friday alone.

'This doesn't just boost the economy but represents the jobs, high streets, and community spirit that revolve around pubs.

'At a time when so many locals are already operating on a knife edge because of huge costs, significant disruption to trade will be acutely felt.'

Claire Mann, TfL's chief operating officer, said: 'We have set out proposals to the RMT for a four-day working week.

'This allows us to offer train operators an additional day off, whilst at the same time bringing London Underground in line with the working patterns of other train operating companies, improving reliability and flexibility at no additional cost.

'The changes would be voluntary, there would be no reduction in contractual hours and those who wish to continue a five-day working week pattern would be able to do so.'