Cllr Paul Swaddle, Leader of Westminster City Council, has told the Standard that the RMT union must not “steal Christmas from Londoners”, after it announced eight Tube strikes running up to Christmas and into the New Year, including Thursday 17 and Saturday 19 December.
The run-up to Christmas is vital for Westminster’s shops, pubs, restaurants and theatres, and the strikes would hit the last shopping weekend of the year.
Cllr Swaddle said: “Yet again the RMT Grinch is trying to steal Christmas from Londoners, and this year it has picked the last shopping weekend of the year to do it.
“Westminster’s shops, restaurants and theatres have had a tough enough year without a union walking out on their busiest days, and Labour is looking on while it happens.
“Sadiq Khan runs the Tube and Andy Burnham runs the country, so where are they? Londoners shouldn’t have to wait for a Christmas miracle. Get round the table, get this sorted and call off the strikes.”
The dispute is over a voluntary four-day week for Tube drivers with no cut in pay. The Aslef drivers’ union fully backs the reforms, which it says will cut average rostered hours from 36 to 34 a week, and London Underground says drivers can choose to stay on a five-day week at the same depot. The RMT says it will not accept a four-day week being used for job cuts or worse terms and conditions.
