Strike shuts down London transport grid
Large swathes of London's sprawling transport network shut down after maintenance workers walked off the job, arousing commuter anger and drawing warnings that the strike would inconvenience millions of Britons.
About 2,300 members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers left their jobs at 6pm on Monday to begin a 72-hour strike, in a dispute related to the collapse of their employer, maintenance consortium Metronet.
Many commuters were on their way home when the strike took effect, forcing them to take overcrowded buses and taxis. London Underground urged passengers to walk if possible.
'The buses were horrendous,' said commuter Caroline Hoyle, 24. 'Every one was jammed full of people. Two passed without letting me on.'
London Mayor Ken Livingstone said the union was disrupting the lives of millions of Londoners for no reason.
'This strike is one of the most purposeless ever called,' he said. 'All of the issues raised have been settled.'
Metronet's workers maintain tracks, trains and signals on some of the subway system's busiest routes, and have demanded assurances that their jobs will be protected under arrangements being made to try to rescue the company, which has been unable to pay its debts.
London Underground said two-thirds of London's subway system, known as the Tube, would be inoperative for at least three days during the strike.
Transport for London officials advised passengers to check before travelling to work yesterday morning and was posting information at subway stations across the capital.
'The disruption across the network was severe last night and, unfortunately, we expect a similar impact on today's services,' Transport for London said yesterday.
Metronet's management said it had given the union's members written guarantees that their jobs were safe. But the RMT union countered that it had not received any guarantees from Metronet that there would be no job losses, forced transfers or pension cuts. It warned of another 72-hour strike next week unless the dispute was resolved to its satisfaction.
The strike drew angry complaints from commuters.
Warren Johnson, 30, had been at a meeting in Surrey and was trying to get to Notting Hill.
'Just because Metronet has gone bust, I don't see why we should have to pay the price,' he said.
Analysts estimated that the strike would cost London's economy millions of pounds each day, while business and opposition groups warned that the impact on tourism and industry would be huge.
Trains ground to a halt on the Bakerloo, Central, Circle, District, East London, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Victoria and Waterloo & City lines. The central part of the Piccadilly line was also suspended.
Transport for London said there was a good service on the Northern and Jubilee lines, which are maintained by a different company.
The Tube carries an average of more than 3 million passengers a day over 409km of track.
Associated Press, Reuters
Underground chaos
Analysts estimate each day of the strike could cost London's businesses: GBP50m
