Travellers face a week of chaos as Tube staff, train drivers and British Airways crew go on strike
Some 300,000 people will be affected by the rail misery including huge queues and delays
BRITS are today facing a week of travel chaos as Tube staff, train drivers and British Airways crew all go on strike.
Eleventh hour talks yesterday failed to stop a 24-hour planned Tube strike as union bosses rejected a new offer on jobs from London Underground.
The walkout by Tube staff over job cuts and ticket office closures started at 6pm last night and plunged millions of commuters in the capital into misery today.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan made a last-ditch attempt to help the masses and pleaded with the trade unions to get back round the negotiating table - before they end up badly isolating themselves.
But his message to Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association and the The Rail, Maritime and Transport union fell on deaf ears and Labour man Sadiq was not afraid to condemn the unions for “punishing” millions of London with the strike action, which he branded “pointless”.
Most of the Tube stations in central London will be closed this morning crippling the transport network and causing havoc and huge delays during rush-hour.
Southern Rail train drivers are also set to walk out tomorrow Wednesday and Friday, shutting down the network on these days and causing major disruption to services for the rest of the week due to an overtime ban.
Some 300,000 people will be affected by the rail misery including long queues and delays and the estimated cost to the capital is thought to be tens of millions of pounds.
With only limited bus links from a small number of stations, the train company is advising people to only travel on strike days if it is vital.
The company also advised people to work from home or remotely if they can and to stagger journeys if they can’t.
The strike, announced by union Aslef, has been called due to a long-running dispute over the introduction of driver-only operated trains, where the driver closes the doors rather than the guard.
British Airways cabin crew are also joining in the industrial action this week with a two-day walkout starting tomorrow.
The airline has been forced to cancel around 48 flights and major travel chaos is expected for those jetting off.
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The latest wave of strikes is expected to spread to other areas including rail networks like Northern Rail which carries around 270,000 passengers each day and provides 2,500 essential commuter services in Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne and Hull.
Micky Thompson, the RMT’s chief negotiator on Northern, warned that industrial action is “inevitable” on this network and industry insiders fear walk-outs on other lines including the West Midlands and Merseyside.
The RMT has argued the hundreds of job cuts to Tube staff agreed by former London mayor Boris Johnson had been a “disaster” and should be reversed.
The union said more than 800 jobs had been axed under the Fit For The Future programme, adding that London Underground was only offering to reinstate 150.
Sadiq Khan last night said: “My message to the unions is clear: it is not too late to cancel this strike and get back around the negotiating table for the sake of all Londoners.
“I have instructed TfL to continue negotiating and we will be available around the clock to resolve this dispute.
“This strike is going to be a huge inconvenience to commuters, tourists and TfL staff. And it is pointless. There is a good deal sitting on the table that will ensure station safety and staffing levels across the Tube network. I am willing to carry on negotiations.
“This historic dispute has nothing to do with the millions of Londoners this strike is punishing. It must be called off.”
Angie Doll, Southern’s passenger service director, said: "We are deeply sorry for the unnecessary and unwarranted disruption this dispute is causing.
“This dispute is pointless. The unions claim this is about safety, but Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Railways has carried out a thorough and robust review and has ruled what we are doing is safe.
“It is now time the union stopped abusing their power to call unjustified strikes and join us in delivering a modern railway for everyone.”
Aslef is opposed to driver-only trains on safety grounds, while the Rail, Maritime and Transport union is embroiled in a separate dispute over the role of conductors.