LONDON will be hit by a major Tube strike tomorrow that will through the capital into chaos.
Travel carnage is expected as five crucial commuter lines go down for 24 hours starting at 4.30am Friday morning.
Union bosses earlier confirmed the Victoria, Central, Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines are all going to be affected, with RMT drivers urged not to clock on for work tomorrow.
TFL said the strike will result in "little or no" Tube service in many parts of London, with all five lines serving major stations in the heart of Britain's largest city.
The night tube, which offers vital services overnight, was suspended due to the pandemic last year but had been due to resume this weekend.
However the RMT argues that the workload would “wreck" drivers' work-life balance, even though TFL insists drivers will work just four night shifts per year.
Read our Tube strike live blog for live updates...
Louis Allwood 5 minutes ago
What is the night tube?
The night tube is the metro in London that runs throughout the night on certain days and lines.
Former Mayor Boris Johnson's brain child was held back by a year as the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) clashed with TfL over pay and conditions.
But the project took off in 2016 and after a staggered start all five proposed lines are running all-night services for Londoners on the weekends with the London Overground now set to join them.
Louis Allwood 17 minutes ago
Can I get fined for drinking alcohol on the Tube?
According to the Transport for London (TfL) conditions of carriage it is prohibited to carry opened containers of alcohol and to drink alcohol on TfL services.
Clause 2.6 of the TfL Conditions of Carriage says: "On our buses, trams and trains, in our bus and rail stations and on tram platforms, you must not: consume alcohol [or] be in possession of an open container of alcohol."
Famous rule breakers include the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, Diane Abbott, who was pictured in April 2019 swigging a ￡2 Marks & Spencer mojito on an overground train in North London.
On another occasion, a drunk man with no shoes or trousers was spotted sleeping whilst standing up on a London Tube.
Alcohol was banned on the London Underground on June 1, 2008, in one of Boris Johnson's first policy statements after he became Mayor of London.
Louis Allwood 36 minutes ago
Check before you travel
TFL have confirmed the disruption and have advised the public to 'check before you travel'.
Tube strikes planned Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines.
Friday 26 and Saturday 27 November (plus further strikes planned).
Check your travel.
— Transport for London (@TfL) November 24, 2021
Louis Allwood 51 minutes ago
What should commuters do?
Commuters should check before they leave for their commute to see whether the lines are heavily affected.
Those travelling will be able to use the Official TFL website to check for closures and disruption.
Louis Allwood Today, 17:20
Little service
Beginning Friday November 26, the Victoria, Central, Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly line are all going to be affected with RMT drivers being told not to clock in for their shifts.
TfL have confirmed the strike would result in “little or no service in places”, with the Waterloo and City line - which uses Central line drivers - also likely to be hit.
Louis Allwood Today, 17:12
'Strike action is needless'
Nick Dent, director of London Underground customer operations, added: “The RMT’s planned strike action is needless and it will threaten London’s recovery from the pandemic, despite no job losses and more flexibility and job certainty for drivers.
“While every other union has agreed to these changes and our staff have been enjoying the benefits of the changes since August, we’re willing to work with the RMT and review the changes after Night Tube services have returned.
"This review can only be successful if the RMT agrees to meet us for talks and withdraws its proposed action so we can all see how these changes will work in practice.
“If the RMT refuses to engage with us and carries out its unnecessary action, which is timed to cause maximum disruption for our customers looking to enjoy London during the festive season, Londoners are advised to check before they travel on days of planned strike action.”
Louis Allwood Today, 17:08
Are there any other strikes planned?
Further action has been planned each weekend in the run-up to Christmas on the Central and Victoria lines.
There will also be another five -line 24-hour shutdown on the final Saturday before Christmas.
Louis Allwood Today, 17:04
RMT statement
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “This strike is about the ripping apart of popular and family friendly agreements that helped make the original Night Tube such a success.
"Instead the company want to cut costs and lump all drivers into a pool where they can be kicked from pillar to post at the behest of the management.
“We have made every effort in ACAS and direct talks since the off to resolve this dispute but it is clear that London Underground bosses are driven solely by the bottom line and have no interest whatsoever in the well-being of their staff or the service to passengers.
“This strike action, and its serious consequences in the run up to Christmas, was avoidable if the Tube management hadn’t axed dedicated Night Tube staff and perfectly workable arrangements in order to cut staffing numbers and costs.
“We warned months ago that slashing 200 Night Tube train driver positions would create a staffing nightmare and LU need to start facing up to that reality and soon.
"The union remains available for further talks even at this late stage.”
Louis Allwood Today, 16:59
What have TFL said?
TfL say that the changes have been agreed by other unions and would be that drivers have to work four night shifts per year.
It also means that the restart of the Night Tube on the Victoria and Central line would be delayed as drivers have been ordered to not work between 8.30pm on Saturday until 4.30am on Sunday.
TfL hope that the Night Tube will still be able to run but have admitted there are likely to be fewer trains than they hoped.
Louis Allwood Today, 16:56
Why did the night tube stop?
The Night Tube was ditched in March 2020 so more trains could run during the day to increase social distancing at the height of the Covid pandemic.
Louis Allwood Today, 16:53
Why is the night tube resuming?
Thousands signed a petition in the wake of Sarah Everard's kidnap, rape and murder by twisted Met cop Wayne Couzens, for the night tube to resume.
Many want the tube service to come back to create a safer way of travelling around London at night.
Louis Allwood Today, 16:50
Why is the strike taking place?
The ongoing dispute is over the night shifts that drivers will be required to work to enable the restart of the Night Tube.
Since the start of the pandemic it has been suspended, but was due to resume overnight on Saturday for the first time.
The RMT claim that the workloads being forced on Tube drivers would wreck their work-life balance by “bulldozing through additional night and weekend working”.
Louis Allwood Today, 16:50
What lines will be affected?
The Victoria, Central, Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines are all going to be affected with RMT drivers being told not to clock in for their shifts from Friday morning.
TfL said the strike would result in “little or no service in places”, with the Waterloo and City line - which uses Central line drivers - also likely to be hit.
Louis Allwood Today, 16:49
Thousands of workers face chaos A TUBE strike is set to cause commuting chaos in central London from tomorrow as union bosses insist the 24 hour action will take place.
Thousands of workers could find themselves stranded as “no service” is expected on five lines from 4.30am tomorrow.
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