London Underground workers begin first full-stage strike since 2023; network to close from 6pm

London Underground staff began a full-stage strike on Sunday, marking the first large-scale walkout since 2023, as limited services operated earlier in the day ahead of a planned complete shutdown from 6 p.m. until about 8 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 12.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) is pressing for a cash pay increase and a reduction in working hours from 35 to 32 hours per week. Transport for London said it had tabled a 3.4% pay offer and described a shorter working week as "unaffordable and impractical." Nick Dent, TfL's director of customer operations for the Tube, appealed to the RMT to call off the strikes and return to negotiations, saying the authority had met the union four times in the previous two weeks and remained willing to talk.

TfL warned that the closure would create significant disruption across the capital and urged passengers to expect very busy alternative services, including buses, London Overground, trams and the Docklands Light Railway. The DLR, which serves east and southeast London, is also scheduled to stop entirely on Tuesday and Thursday this week because of a separate dispute.

Signs posted at stations across the network on Sunday indicated suspended services on lines such as the Circle and Bakerloo, with partial suspensions on the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines. TfL said some rail services could be so crowded that they would be unable to call at stations shared with the Underground.

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said the union's members were seeking relief from strenuous shift patterns and fatigue that have affected health and wellbeing, along with unresolved issues over staff travel arrangements. "They are not after a King's ransom," he said in announcing the strikes, adding that an "atmosphere of distrust" had developed between members and London Underground management. Dempsey said the RMT would continue to engage with management to seek a revised offer and a negotiated settlement.

The scheduled week-long action is the first time the whole Tube network has been closed since March 2023, when large-scale strikes also brought the system to a standstill. Commuters and businesses had hoped for intervention similar to one deployed earlier in the year, when Mayor Sadiq Khan used Greater London Authority funds to avert strikes; no similar resolution was in place before this week's action.

Transport groups and local authorities warned of knock-on effects for traffic and surface transport as workers and residents switch to buses and other services. TfL advised passengers to check journey planners, allow extra travel time and consider working from home where possible. Employers and event organisers were urged to plan for staff shortages and delays during the strike period.

Negotiations between TfL and the RMT are ongoing in the background of the action, with both sides having reaffirmed readiness to continue talks. The immediate practical effect is a near-total suspension of tube services through the week, with alternative public transport expected to operate under considerable strain and some routes disrupted by separate industrial action.

As services were suspended, station concourses and platforms showed lower footfall than usual, while passengers sought alternative travel arrangements. TfL and the RMT have both called on the other to return to talks, leaving the timing and content of any potential settlement uncertain as the network prepares for a multi-day shutdown.