Tube Strike on Piccadilly Line

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Breakdown in industrial relations bewteen management and unions

Piccadilly Line drivers have begun the first of three 24-hour strikes.

The RMT and Aslef said there had been a breakdown in industrial relations with issues including the age of trains not resolved.

Transport For London there will be no Piccadilly line service from late Wed (23/03) and all day today.  For customers travelling between Heathrow airport and central London, Heathrow Connect and Heathrow Express services will be available to and from London Paddington station.

Interchange stations along the Piccadilly line – Finsbury Park, Green Park and King’s Cross St. Pancras stations in particular – will be much busier than usual. Services on other Tube and Rail lines, the bus network and river will run as normal but are expected to be busy as passengers seek alternative routes. Roads in west and central London are also expected to be busy.

Extra buses will be provided to help Londoners get around. Buses do not accept cash, so customers will need to use their contactless debit or credit card, Oyster or bus & tram pass to continue their journeys. Customers are advised to allow more time for their journeys.

The Piccadilly line is expected to run a Saturday service on Friday 25 March as part of the Easter Bank Holiday arrangements, although customers are advised to check before they travel.

Pat Hansberry, Operations Director for LU, said: “Our customers are advised to check our real-time travel tools, should the planned strike go ahead on the Piccadilly line from late tonight.

“This indefensible strike has been called to back drivers who refused to drive Piccadilly line trains on their shifts – without good reason – resulting in delays to our customers. That said, we remain available for talks and are keen for the union leaderships to engage with us, so that Londoners aren’t subjected to unnecessary disruption.”

Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, said:

“The wholesale abuse of procedures and agreements by management on the Piccadilly Line is rife and amounts to the development of a campaign of bullying, harassment and intimidation that the union will not allow to continue.''

Yesterday commuters faced problems on both the Central Line and Piccadilly lines, with power issues on the Central Line and a fire alarm causing delays for travellers using the Piccadilly line.

Overcrowded platform around 8.15am at Northfields Station Wed 23/03 (pic credit Ian Kingston)

Today TfL advises all customers to allow more time for their journeys and to check before they travel at tfl.gov.uk/tube-strike and by following @TfLTravelAlerts, @TfLTrafficNews and @TfLBusAlerts on Twitter.

Easter engineering works on the Tube, TfL Rail and London Overground will go ahead as planned from Friday 25 March. Details of the works are available from tfl.gov.uk/easter.

 

The RMT is also due to strike on 19 and 21 April.

 

24th March 2016