Tube train drivers who are members of the RMT union are to hold a series of strikes next month in a dispute about night tube driver grades.
The union says that the dispute is over a plan to abolish the night tube grade, a special grade created for people working the night tube service.
TfL wants to merge the night tube grade into the standard tube staff grade, which the RMT opposes as they argue it will lead to job cuts among the night tube staff. However, as the night tube is currently suspended, and seems likely to remain so for some time, keeping the night tube staff segregated from the rest of the staff reduces staffing flexibility.
The RMT says that it will also lead to job cuts, although, Nick Dent, Director of Customer Operations for London Underground has previously said that no job cuts are planned from these changes.
Although the changes make it easier for night-tube limited staff to become full-time drivers, they also mean that existing tube drivers could, in the future, be asked to work the night tube shifts at weekends, which they currently don’t work.
The tube strike – assuming it goes ahead will run from:
- Noon on Tuesday 3rd Aug to noon on Wednesday 4th Aug.
- Noon on Thursday 5th Aug to noon on Friday 6th Aug.
and also:
- Noon on Tuesday 24th Aug to noon on Wednesday 25th Aug.
- Noon on Thursday 26th Aug to noon on Friday 27th Aug.
The strike will only affect RMT drivers. The other driver unions have accepted the changes.
