London Underground train drivers in the RMT union announced eight 24-hour strikes across four months, threatening disruption for commuters and festive shoppers as a dispute over a proposed four-day working week escalates into the new year.
Rolls Out Eight Walkout Dates Through February
The industrial action runs for eight separate days starting in late November and continuing through February, with key walkouts hitting the capital during the busy holiday shopping season. The rolling 24-hour strikes begin at noon on Thursday 26 November 2026.
Further actions follow on Thursday 17 December 2026 and Saturday 19 December 2026.
Subsequent walkouts are planned for Monday 4 January 2027, Wednesday 6 January 2027, Wednesday 17 February 2027, Tuesday 23 February 2027, and Thursday 25 February 2027. Business leaders warned that the timing hits the hospitality sector particularly hard during the vital Christmas trading period, while the February 17 date falls within the half-term school holiday for many London and UK schools.
These strikes will not bring any festive cheer to Londoners and visitors who rely on the Tube to get around the city,
said Ed Richardson, transport programme director at BusinessLDN, urging both sides to reach an agreement urgently to avoid damaging disruptions.
Dispute Over Working Arrangements
The core of the dispute centers on Transport for London proposals to introduce a four-day working week for drivers, alongside a new Trains Modernisation Framework. While TfL maintains the scheme is voluntary and designed to reduce overall weekly hours from 36 to 35 by introducing paid meal breaks, the RMT argues the changes worsen conditions.
London Underground is attempting to dress up a wholesale attack on drivers’ working conditions as a voluntary four-day week.
Eddie Dempsey, RMT general secretary
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey stated that members are being asked to spend more time driving trains, accept longer and more unpredictable shifts and surrender agreements that have been negotiated and defended over many years
. The union also raised concerns about potential job cuts, citing initial rosters published for the Bakerloo line. Workers face short-notice changes to shifts, earlier starts, later finishes, and attacks on annual leave arrangements.
Division Among Driver Unions
The RMT’s stance contrasts sharply with the Aslef union, which represents a large portion of the network’s drivers and embraces the roster changes. Finn Brennan, Aslef’s full-time organiser on London Underground, expressed bewilderment at the industrial action.
We are surprised that the RMT has, once again, decided to take strike action to try to prevent Underground drivers moving to a four-day week on a voluntary basis.
Finn Brennan, Aslef’s full-time organiser on London Underground
According to Aslef, the voluntary arrangement gives drivers an extra 35 days off every year under rosters based on a 34-hour week in exchange for transitioning to electronic, rather than paper-based, systems for booking on for duty.
Nick Dent, director of customer operations for London Underground, added that management engaged with trade unions for months.
Management engaged with trade unions for months, resulting in guarantees that drivers can choose to remain on a five-day week without changing depots or suffering any detriment.