Sadiq Khan refuses to make use of new legal guidelines to cease London Tube strike

Sadiq Khan has refused to make use of new minimal service legal guidelines to maintain the London Underground operating throughout subsequent week’s main strike.

Even although the Mayor of London may have averted distress for hundreds of thousands, he as an alternative bowed to the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union.

The Tube could have ‘little to no service’ from Monday till Thursday subsequent week with members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union engaged on totally different elements of the community set to strike on separate days between tomorrow and January 12.

Susan Hall, the Conservative London mayoral candidate, right now slammed Khan for ‘inflicting mayhem on our metropolis’.

She informed MailOnline: ‘It is outrageous that Sadiq Khan continues to be refusing to make use of the minimal service ranges powers to cut back the affect of those pointless strikes, as a result of he’s too petrified of his celebration’s union paymasters.

‘We deserve so significantly better than a Mayor who guarantees ‘zero strikes’ after which presides over 140. 

‘Sadiq Khan’s strikes are burdening companies and inflicting useless disruption to commuters. 

‘We want somebody who will get up for London’s pursuits and work laborious to place a cease to those strikes. I’m decided to ship that as Mayor in May.’

Major disruption will start from this Sunday, January 7 – when Tube providers will finish sooner than regular, with passengers suggested to finish all journeys by 5.30pm.

From Monday till Thursday, ‘extreme disruption is predicted with little to no service’ on all Tubes. Services will then begin late on Friday with service by noon.

Nearly 10,000 RMT members will strike within the dispute which the RMT stated was over pay, grading buildings and journey amenities. Union chiefs claimed that Tube bosses ‘didn’t provide you with a proposal’ that was acceptable regardless of talks. It comes as:

• The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) threatened separate motion;
• UKHospitality warned subsequent week’s strike may price the business £50million;
• The chaos will unfold to different National Rail operators with Tube interchanges;
• The Elizabeth line additionally faces disruption regardless of its employees not happening strike; 
• Sadiq Khan was urged to make use of new minimal service legal guidelines to maintain Tubes operating;
• A journey watchdog stated it was ‘not the begin to the brand new yr Londoners wished’. 

While Elizabeth line employees are usually not on strike, its stations between Bond Street and Whitechapel will likely be affected. And 5 different rail operators – c2c, Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Chiltern Railways – may also have partially amended providers.

The Docklands Light Railway, London Overground , Elizabeth line and TfL buses are all set to be busier than regular, regardless of not being included within the industrial motion.

Some of those providers may also be affected by station closures the place stations additionally serve Underground strains, whereas one-way or queueing programs may very well be in place.

Passengers took to X to voice their anger – together with a girl with terminal most cancers who stated she wouldn’t have the ability to get to hospital for brand spanking new chemotherapy therapy.

Others included a faculty instructor who had been pressured to cancel a theatre journey for 40 pupils – whereas corporations stated that they had determined to shut their places of work. But some employees stated they hoped the strike will go forward to allow them to nonetheless earn a living from home.

Meanwhile the motion may price London hospitality companies £50million in keeping with business physique UKHospitality, which stated that strike days on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are ‘the important thing weekdays that commuters now come into the town’.

On the Elizabeth Line, on Monday and Wednesday subsequent week stations between Bond Street and Whitechapel inclusive are anticipated to be shut earlier than 6.30am and after 10.30pm.

Stations may additionally have to shut at brief discover, and trains will run by affected stations with out stopping.

On Tuesday and Thursday subsequent week, stations between Bond Street and Whitechapel inclusive are anticipated to be closed till about 7.30am, and trains will run by affected stations with out stopping.

Meanwhile Chiltern Railways warned that its providers between London Marylebone and Aylesbury through Amersham could be affected by the Tube strike.

This is as a result of they run alongside underground infrastructure together with the tracks and signalling programs.

During the strike interval, on some days its trains won’t name at South Ruislip as a result of the station will likely be closed.

Other operators resulting from be affected included c2c, which stated trains will be unable to cease at West Ham from 6.30pm on Sunday till 7.30am subsequent Friday. 

It added that c2c stations that interchange with TfL providers could also be busier than regular.

Great Northern stated that on subsequent Monday and Wednesday, there could be no providers at Drayton Park, Highbury and Islington, Essex Road, Old Street and Moorgate.

The operator additionally stated that trains which usually run to and from Moorgate will begin and terminate at Finsbury Park on these days.

On Tuesday and Thursday subsequent week providers on the aforementioned stations will begin later than regular, with no trains earlier than 7.30am.

Thameslink stated that on Monday and Wednesday subsequent week there will likely be no providers at Farringdon station.

On Tuesday and Thursday subsequent week, Thameslink providers from Farringdon will begin later than regular, with no trains earlier than 7.30am.

And Southern revealed that subsequent week on Monday and Wednesday, it would don’t have any providers at Wembley Central and Harrow and Wealdstone stations.

TfL additionally stated that if the strike goes forward, it would take a look at amending deliberate engineering work on the District Line, which may lead to a closure of the Wimbledon department between Wimbledon and Parsons Green.

It has additionally urged Underground passengers to ‘solely journey if their journey is crucial’ from this Sunday night till subsequent Friday.

Transport bosses added that this Sunday night, strains serving the Emirates Stadium in North London for the Arsenal v Liverpool FA Cup third spherical match, which kicks off at 4.30pm and can finish round 6.30pm, will ‘attempt to stay open longer’.

They stated soccer followers ought to make their means straight to the trains following the match as a result of providers will begin to shut from 7.30pm on these strains.

Chaos will start when engineering and upkeep employees take strike motion from 6pm this night and tomorrow, with no rest-day working or additional time from then till January 12.

Underground management centre in addition to energy and management members will likely be taking motion over this Sunday and subsequent Monday, and all fleet employees will stroll out subsequent Monday.

Signallers and repair controller members will take motion subsequent Tuesday and subsequent Thursday whereas all fleet, stations and trains grades will stroll out subsequent Wednesday.

Earlier this week, Sadiq Khan was urged by the Tories to make use of new minimal service legal guidelines to maintain the Underground operating throughout the strike.

It comes after the primary rules geared toward making certain minimal ranges of service throughout strikes have been introduced into pressure by the Government on December 8.

City Hall Conservatives transport spokesman Keith Prince informed MailOnline: ‘Sadiq Khan must determine if he’s the Mayor for Londoners or the Mayor for commerce unions. The Strikes (Minimum Service Level) Act offers Sadiq Khan the facility to intervene in subsequent week’s strikes to make sure minimal service ranges on the Underground community.

‘In 2016, Sadiq Khan promised zero strikes on the Underground community. Next week’s industrial motion would be the one hundred and fortieth strike beneath his watch – 4 instances as many because the earlier mayor.

‘Sadiq Khan is each Mayor and chairman of TfL. Londoners will know who in charge when the Tube community grinds to a halt as soon as once more.’

Last month, ministers stated the brand new rules would apply within the rail sector, border safety and ambulance providers.

For the railways, minimal service ranges ought to imply that rail operators can goal to run 40 per cent of their regular timetable throughout any strike.

A Statutory Code of Practice additionally got here into pressure which units out the ‘affordable’ steps commerce unions ought to take to make sure their members adjust to work notices.

Where minimal service degree rules are in place and strike motion is known as, employers ought to have the ability to subject work notices to determine people who find themselves ‘moderately required to work’ to make sure minimal service ranges are met.

The regulation requires unions to make sure their members who’re recognized with a piece discover comply, and in the event that they fail to do that, they are going to lose authorized safety from damages claims.

The Government has additionally raised the utmost damages that courts can award in opposition to a union for illegal strike motion. For the most important unions, the utmost award has risen from £250,000 to £1million.

But TfL informed MailOnline it had not utilized the brand new act throughout this industrial motion for a ‘variety of causes’.

This included that the laws had ‘simply been launched and doesn’t cowl the entire related teams of employees taking motion on a number of the days’.

Bosses added that there have been ‘additionally facets that we’re looking for clarification on from the Government’.

Labour has pledged to repeal the brand new regulation if it wins the following basic election.

A TfL spokesman stated earlier this week: ‘We are disillusioned that the RMT referred to as this motion over our full and closing provide of a 5 per cent pay enhance.

‘We have been clear in constructive discussions that that is essentially the most we are able to afford while making certain that we are able to function safely, reliably and sustainably. We encourage the RMT to interact with us to keep away from disruption for Londoners.

‘The Minimum Service Level Act has not been utilized throughout this industrial motion for a lot of causes. The laws has simply been launched and doesn’t cowl the entire related teams of employees taking motion on a number of the days. There are additionally facets that we’re looking for clarification on from the Government.’

A spokesman for Mr Khan referred MailOnline to TfL when contacted about Mr Prince’s feedback.

It comes after a dialogue between the Tories and Mr Khan in regards to the regulation at a current assembly.

In a video tweeted by City Hall Conservatives on December 21, the group’s chief Neil Garratt requested Mr Khan: ‘The Government has now given you powers to implement minimal service ranges. Is {that a} energy you welcome, is {that a} energy you plan to make use of?’

But Mr Khan replied: ‘TfL will at all times converse to commerce unions to keep away from any strike motion. The laws that you simply’re referring to is not match for objective for TfL in relation to security necessities of TfL but additionally in relation to the minimal requirements requirement for TfL.

‘But we’re hoping it does not come to that as a result of we’re hoping that – as is commonly the case – we handle to resolve these items amicably.

Last month, MailOnline reported how members of the RMT had voted ‘overwhelmingly’ by 90.5 per cent to take industrial motion over an ‘unacceptable’ 5 per cent pay provide.

Different elements of the workforce will strike on totally different days in an try to cripple the community with out all employees having to stroll out and lose pay on the similar time.

The RMT hit out at ‘beneath inflation‘ pay rises for workers and claimed TfL had created a bonus pot of £13million for senior managers.

It additionally identified that TfL commissioner Andy Lord had an 11 per cent pay rise in June of £40,000, taking his wage from £355,000 as much as £395,000.

The union stated it wished to ‘see full employees journey amenities for all Tube employees restored’ and criticised TfL bosses for ‘freezing pay bands’, warning that it’s going to create a ‘two-tier workforce’.

Today, an RMT spokesperson stated in an announcement: ‘TfL has didn’t avert this strike by not providing a deal that was acceptable to our members on London Underground.

‘We don’t take strike motion calmly however we’re decided to get a negotiated settlement on pay, journey amenities and a grading construction which means our members won’t lose out.’

Earlier, RMT basic secretary Mick Lynch stated Tube employees who assist convey ‘huge quantities of worth’ to the London economic system have been ‘not going to place up with senior managers and commissioners raking it in, whereas they got modest beneath inflation gives’.

He added: ‘The refusal of Transport for London to revive employees journey amenities and create a two-tier workforce can also be unacceptable.

‘Our members have made it clear that they’re ready to take motion and we urge TfL to enhance their provide to avert disruption within the capital.’

A complete of 5,334 of 9,723 RMT members took half within the RMT’s poll, with 4,827 voting for motion and 505 voting in opposition to, reported the Evening Standard.

Glynn Barton, TfL’s chief working officer, stated final week: ‘We are disillusioned that RMT is planning strike motion in response to our provide of a 5 per cent pay enhance.

‘We have been clear all through our productive discussions with our commerce unions that this provide is essentially the most we are able to afford whereas making certain that we are able to function safely, reliably and sustainably.

‘We encourage the RMT to interact with us to keep away from disruption for Londoners. We want to advise anybody travelling throughout the strike days to verify earlier than they journey.’

Kate Nicholls, chief govt of UKHospitality, informed MailOnline: ‘Yet one other Tube strike is irritating information for Londoners, employees, and the hundreds of hospitality companies that function within the Capital.

‘With the strike days affecting Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – the important thing weekdays that commuters now come into the town – we estimate that the affect to the sector from subsequent week’s tube strike may very well be as much as £50million.

‘And that determine is on prime of the misplaced £4billion in gross sales over the previous 18 months that hospitality companies have already needed to take in from ongoing transport strikes.

‘January is already one of many quieter buying and selling months of the yr for hospitality, the place each sale counts, and this disruption will make the begin to the yr much more difficult.

‘We want all events to return collectively to urgently attain a decision and produce to an finish this long-running disruption.’

And a spokesman for transport watchdog London TravelWatch informed MailOnline: ‘Towards the top of 2023, we noticed London Underground journeys attain 4 million a day, so it is clear that demand is effectively and really again after the pandemic.

‘We know that together with disruption to the tube, there’ll possible be an affect on Elizabeth line, London Overground and DLR providers on every strike day too.

‘If these strikes do go forward as deliberate, they are going to be actually disruptive for passengers. This will not be the begin to the brand new yr Londoners wished.’

In October final yr, the RMT referred to as off two deliberate weekday Tube strikes following ‘vital progress’ in talks with Underground bosses at conciliation service Acas.