London Underground workers begin first full strike since 2023 as city faces week-long shutdown

London's Tube network began its first full-stage walkout since 2023 on Sunday, with limited services operating early in the day before Transport for London (TfL) said the entire system would be shut down from 6 p.m. until about 8 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) press demands on pay and working hours.

The RMT is seeking a cash pay increase and a reduction in the standard working week from 35 to 32 hours. TfL has offered a 3.4% pay rise, saying a reduction in hours would be "unaffordable and impractical." Nick Dent, TfL's director of customer operations for the Tube, urged the union to call off the strikes and resume negotiations, saying the parties had met four times in the prior two weeks and further talks remained possible.

The action marks the first time the Underground's entire network has been closed since March 2023, when strikes led by the then-RMT leadership generated similar disruption. The present walkout was announced last month and began to affect services across the capital on Sunday, with several lines already operating reduced or suspended timetables. Signs at stations such as High Street Kensington and Notting Hill Gate reported suspended services on the Circle and Bakerloo lines and partial suspensions on the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines.

TfL warned that alternative surface transport would be extremely busy and advised passengers to plan journeys in advance. Commuters are expected to shift to buses, the London Overground and trams, while the Docklands Light Railway will be entirely suspended on Tuesday and Thursday because of a separate dispute. TfL cautioned that some National Rail services sharing tracks with the Underground may, at times, be unable to call at stations subject to the stoppage.

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said union members were not seeking a "King's ransom" but were driven by concerns over fatigue, rotating shifts and staff travel arrangements, which he said had created an atmosphere of distrust. "Our members are doing a fantastic job to keep our capital moving and work strenuous shift patterns to make sure Londoners get to their destinations around the clock," Dempsey said when announcing the strikes.

Officials and businesses have warned the strikes could cause widespread disruption to commuting patterns and economic activity across the city. Roads are expected to be busier than normal as passengers change modes, and retailers and employers in central London face heightened uncertainty for the week ahead. In January, then-Mayor Sadiq Khan used £30 million of Greater London Authority funds in an attempt to avert Tube strikes; there is no indication that a similar intervention will be employed for the current dispute.

TfL has framed its 3.4% offer as part of ongoing negotiations and reiterated an openness to further discussions. Dent said it was not too late to call off the industrial action and put any revised offer to RMT members. The union, however, has indicated it will continue with the planned action unless management presents an improved settlement addressing hours and other working-condition concerns.

Transport disruption during the stoppage is likely to have knock-on effects for businesses that rely on commuter footfall and for supply chains that use daytime delivery windows. TfL and the RMT did not provide an immediate estimate of the financial cost of the strike, and neither side signalled an imminent breakthrough in talks as services entered the shutdown period.

Passengers seeking information were directed to check TfL's "Strike Action Impacts" webpage for rolling updates on individual line statuses, station closures and advice on alternative routes. TfL has also urged people to work from home where possible and to allow extra time for essential journeys while the strike continues.