London faces what may be its biggest strike on the London Underground network in over a decade, threatening chaos for commuters and visitors to England’s capital.
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Commenting on whether the discontent of unions meant the new train timetables could not be implemented as planned, Mr Johnson said: “I am not as hung up on the date”.
A few 4 million journeys are typically made on the Underground each day, so when the system is down, the city comes close to grinding to a halt.
Tourists and sightseers will probably also struggle to get around the city and may not relish the prospect of jostling elbows with enraged commuters trying to pack themselves like sardines into buses.
Customers who are able to change their travel time are strongly advised to travel outside peak hours on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday.
Bad luck for commuters and tourists heading to Wimbledon Tennis – the Tube looks set to shut down completely for 24-hours as four unions go on strike.
“When you’re living in London that long, you just have to learn to live with it”, said Thumwood, a 64-year-old systems consultant who works in the center of London.
“I think they were very disappointed by the election result in May”. It said buses, Overground services, river and Emirates Air Line services, as well as the cycle hire scheme were all likely to be in high demand when people headed home.
RMT Finsbury Park Branch secretary Dean O’Hanlon said there was “solid” support across all tube lines and the action aimed to “improve the work life balance” for Tube workers.
Prime Minister David Cameron’s spokeswoman called the strike unacceptable and unjustified, while London mayor Boris Johnson said it was politically motivated.
Members of the ASLEF, RMT, TSSA and Unite unions are striking over the pay settlement offered in advance of the 24-hour Night Tube service which starts in September.
Rush hour started early in London last night as offices closed and commuters scrambled to get home before the strike started.
“All we have heard is a series of speeches from trade union leaders, condemning us for communicating with our staff”.
“It is time to end the blame game and agree a solution which keeps London moving”.
In a statement to passengers, Brown went on to say that the company had “strained every muscle” in an effort to present a “remarkably fair” pay offer in order to introduce new Tubes.
Last summer, black cab drivers in London staged a protest against Uber and other car-sharing services, saying their ability to avoid licence fees was putting other taxi drivers’ jobs at risk. In fact, no-one is being asked to work any more hours and most staff will not be affected at all.
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Finn Brennan, Aslef’s organiser on the Tube said: “The responsibility for this strike and the disruption that it will cause rests squarely with London Underground management”.
