Tube Strikes to Hit London Trade as Six Walkouts Confirmed for Spring

London’s pubs, bars, restaurants and venues face a damaging spring as a protracted industrial dispute on the London Underground threatens to deter customers and staff alike from travelling across the capital.

RMT members will walk out on six occasions across the coming three months, with the first wave of action hitting next week. The dispute centres on Transport for London’s plans to move Tube drivers onto a compressed four-day working week — a proposal that the majority of train operators rejected in e-referendums, with members raising concerns over shift lengths, working time arrangements and fatigue.

Each strike period follows the same pattern, with disruption beginning at midday on Tuesday and running through to Wednesday, before resuming from midday Thursday into Friday. The first walkouts are scheduled for 21–22 April and 23–24 April, with a further round of action planned for May.

For operators in the capital’s on-trade, the timing is particularly unwelcome. Mid-week evening trade — already under pressure from the cost-of-living squeeze — is likely to take the hardest hit, with customers unable or unwilling to navigate a disrupted network to reach city-centre venues. Operators in areas poorly served by alternative transport may face near-total loss of passing trade on affected evenings.

Sasha Shaker, Senior Director at OpenTable in the UK and Ireland, said: “No-shows and late cancellations can be detrimental for restaurants, who are already operating on razor thin margins and battling increasing operating costs. We always encourage diners to cancel as soon as possible if they can’t make it – that small action gives restaurants a fighting chance to fill those seats, especially when they are up against wider issues like transit disruptions.”

TfL has confirmed that the Elizabeth line, London Overground, DLR and most bus services will continue to operate as normal during the strikes, though all are expected to be considerably busier than usual. Venue operators are advised to communicate clearly with customers ahead of strike days, highlighting accessible routes and nearby transport alternatives.

Crucially for staffing, drivers belonging to the ASLEF union are not participating in the action, and non-driver RMT members are also not striking— meaning the impact, while significant, is expected to be less severe than previous all-out walkouts. Nevertheless, TfL has warned that disruption is expected to be widespread across the Underground network  on strike days.

The initial March strike was called off following progress in negotiations between the RMT and London Underground management, and TfL has indicated it remains open to further discussions — though no formal talks are currently confirmed ahead of next week’s action.

RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said the union would continue to pursue a negotiated settlement but was prepared to press ahead with industrial action if London Underground management refused to come to the table with a workable proposal.

TfL’s operations leadership has urged the RMT to stand down the strikes, warning that customers should check the status of their journey before travelling on affected days, as service levels will vary considerably across different lines.