Londoners Struggle to Get to Work and School During Tube Strike
Staffers for the Underground, which handles up to five million passenger journeys a day, went on strike June 6. More stoppages are on the horizon.
LONDON — After a weekend full of lively celebrations for the Platinum Jubilee, Londoners were shocked to hear that Tube staff declared a 24-hour strike. The Underground’s union declared the strike because of the government’s proposal to cut hundreds of jobs and reform their pension scheme.
On Wednesday, June 1 at 10:11 a.m., Transport for London (TfL) sent out an email about traveling during the Jubilee weekend. They warned readers that some roads would be closed for the celebration. TfL also added that commuters should expect Tube strikes between June 3 and July 10 with nightly Tube strikes occurring every Friday and Saturday until June 19. Then, the last email travelers received from TfL read: Londoners Underground Strike update. Even though many were informed about the event, some did not expect the harsh impact it had.
“The crazy part is I saw those emails,” said Chanci, a 27-year-old barista. Since the Tube stations were closed and many travelers had to find other means of transportation, Chanci was met with a crowded bus, full of Londoners eager to get to work on time. “But I didn’t think it was going to be that bad. I was late to my job and so was my friend. My manager asked us why we did not plan to take the bus after hearing of the strike, but I just said I forgot. To be honest, I still don’t know what this is about.”
On May 23, the National Union of Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers (RMT) Press Office released a statement which stated, “Tube union RMT has criticized TfL for threatening 600 job losses on the network.” Not only were 600 jobs threatened, but the government put forward a proposal that would change TfL’s pension scheme. According to The Evening Standard, the original pension scheme was considered “generous” while TfL puts in about 6.66 times the amount of money that a member puts into their pension for retirement.
The Evening Standard also reported that Mayor Sadiq Khan responded to the early possibilities of a strike by saying “RMT was ‘letting the Government off the hook’ and ‘letting down Londoners’ by ‘pointing the finger at him and TfL bosses.’” Later, on June 1, the RMT Press Office put out another statement which seemed to be their last warning. In this statement, they readdressed the situation and called for an in-person meeting with Mayor Sadiq Khan.
The last Tube strike was planned in 2016. Similarly, the RMT union members planned a 24-hour strike, but it ultimately did not follow through after “successful talks with London Underground management at Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service,” said The Guardian.
While the Tube staff fight to keep their jobs and pensions, some people are left wondering how much of the government’s money was put into the Jubilee celebration over the weekend, instead of resolving other issues that directly impacted Londoners.
On June 6, Tom Calver with The Sunday Times reported that “in the 2021 budget, Rishi Sunak set aside £28 million to deliver ‘a major celebration for the UK’… It works out at about £1 per household.”
Not only did the Jubilee cost millions, but some Londoners are still recovering from the rising inflation and cost of living. “Everything seems to be going up,” said Amoy Banks, a 46-year-old mother of two who stood with her groceries while waiting for the bus during the Tube strike. “It isn’t easy trying to take care of two kids, let alone myself. It’s already expensive to pay rent and just live in London and Covid was a bad time for us.”
Banks added that she did not participate in the major Jubilee events and was shocked to hear that the government budgeted £28 million. “There are so many things they could have done! There are so many things I could do with £28 million. Even £1 million or £100,000,” Banks said jokingly while her kids continued to play with each other behind her.
Many Londoners, like Banks, are barely making ends meet to pay rent on time. What makes matters even worse is the government’s reluctance to find a way to help support the Tube staff which has shown to directly affect commuters, like Chanci, on their way to and from work.
Although the Tube stations opened back up on Tuesday, there still has not been an updated resolution to the government’s proposal or TfL’s response to it. Now, RMT leaves the responsibility in the hands of the government and Mayor Sadiq Khan to prevent the loss of 600 jobs which would affect 600 families that are already trying to survive the new financial changes.
The strike has made it clear that the union will do what is necessary to have their demands heard. In fact, another strike is being planned for later in the month. According to Leading Britain’s Conversation, Londoners should expect another strike on June 21, 23, and 25. That week is also supposed to be a busy week for public transport as a few concerts and athletic events are planned to take place. With more strikes to come, RMT and the government must make an agreement soon to prevent a major damage with the public transport network.
