Hope Diminishing of Another Tube Driver Strike Reprieve
TfL warns passengers to prepare for RMT action next week
Strikes could hit services over four days at the start of June
May 27, 2026
Just days after Londoners were told that Tube strikes had been called off and that hopes were increasing that progress was being made in the long-running dispute over drivers’ working patterns, the prospect of major disruption has returned. The RMT has confirmed that its members will walk out on Tuesday 2 June and Thursday 4 June, raising the likelihood of two more days of heavily reduced London Underground services and renewed travel chaos across the capital.
The strikes will run from 00:01 to 23:59 on both days and will affect all Tube lines, with Transport for London warning that services which do operate are likely to start late, finish early and vary significantly by line. Although TfL expects to run a service on most routes, passengers are being advised to plan ahead, allow extra time and be prepared for long waits and crowded platforms. Disruption is also expected to spill over into the mornings of Wednesday 3 June and Friday 5 June, as trains and staff return to normal duties.
Other parts of the network — including buses, the DLR, the Elizabeth line, London Overground and trams — will run normally but are expected to be far busier than usual as commuters seek alternatives.
The renewed strike threat comes after a dramatic turnaround earlier this month, when the RMT unexpectedly cancelled two planned walkouts scheduled for 18 and 20 May. Those strikes had been expected to shut down large parts of the network, with no service forecast on the Circle and Piccadilly lines and major suspensions on the Central and Metropolitan lines. Their cancellation, announced just hours before the first walkout was due to begin, had raised hopes that the dispute was finally easing.
But the underlying disagreement remains unresolved. The RMT continues to oppose TfL’s proposal for a voluntary four-day week with compressed hours, arguing that the arrangement would lengthen shifts, reduce flexibility and increase fatigue in a safety-critical role. ASLEF, which represents a slight majority of Tube drivers, has accepted the deal and was never planning to strike, calling the new pattern “exactly the sort of agreement every trade union should be trying to achieve”. TfL insists the scheme is entirely optional and designed to improve work-life balance.
The sudden return of strike action has frustrated businesses and commuters who had hoped the worst of the disruption was behind them. April’s four-day walkout caused widespread delays, overcrowding and cancellations, with many Londoners working from home or turning to cycling to avoid the uncertainty. Hospitality groups say the stop-start nature of the dispute — with strikes announced, cancelled and then reinstated — is damaging central London’s recovery, particularly for theatres, restaurants and the night-time economy.
Talks between TfL and the RMT are continuing, but unless a breakthrough is reached in the coming days, London faces two more days of significant disruption at the start of June. For now, the message from TfL is clear: check before travelling, expect delays, and prepare for a difficult week on the Underground.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |