Disruption expected as Tube strikes begin today

London’s tube system is expecting to be hit by severe delays today and the first in a series of worker strikes begin. Passengers have been advised to find alternative ways of getting home as thousands of London Underground workers begin a 24-hour walk out at 17:00 today. A second wave will also leave their posts later this evening at 21:00.

The strikes have been organised by the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) unions which oppose government plans to scrap 800 jobs at ticket offices across the network. The union says station security could be put at risk.

A separate 24-hour walkout of maintenance staff on the Northern and Jubilee lines also began at 19:00 on Sunday. The Alstom-Metro workers voted to strike after calling a below inflation pay offer insulting. London Underground is insisting that station security will not be in jeopardy as all offices will still be staffed and there will be no compulsory redundancies.

Transport for London (TFL) has warned tube users to expect extreme disruption from Monday afternoon and most of Tuesday. An extra 10,000 passenger journeys on the Thames riverboat services are being put on and 100 extra buses will be running throughout the city. Some escorted bike rides will also be operated during the strike.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow called the government’s plans to send volunteers into training a disaster waiting to happen. TfL has, however, said they would never do anything to compromise the safety and Londoners and the city’s visitors.