London Tube strike to go ahead after union rejects last-ditch offer

Walkout will begin at 6pm on Sunday and continue through Monday

Most stations in Zone 1 will be closed during the walkout (Getty)

A Tube strike across much of the London underground network will go ahead on Sunday night and Monday after the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) union rejected a last-ditch offer from London Underground.

Unions say staff cuts have left many stations dangerously under-staffed and are unhappy that workers are having to do overtime to fill the gaps.

London Underground made a last-minute offer in an attempt to avert the strike but TSSA confirmed it has rejected the offer and will go ahead with the walkout.

It said on Twitter: “TSSA reps vote to reject London Underground offer on station staffing. 24 hour #TubeStrike starts at 18.00 today. #SafetyFirst”

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, which also represents station staff, had already confirmed its members will strike. In total, up to 4,000 London Underground staff are expected to take part.

The walkout is likely to lead to travel chaos for London commuters. There will be no service on the Victoria or Waterloo and City lines and a heavily reduced service on other lines. A number of central London stations will be closed. Transport for London said it may not know until Monday morning which stations are open and which services are operating.

The disruption comes in the same week as Southern train drivers are to continue their strike, with walkouts planned for Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday - bringing many train routes to a standstill.

Unions are unhappy about the loss of 800 station staff jobs and the closure of station ticket offices by Boris Johnson, the previous Mayor of London. They say the cuts have left stations “without sufficient staff to operate safely and effectively”.

The RMT claims: “Reason, safety considerations, providing a service for passengers and staff welfare have all been ignored by senior management, who have driven through massive staffing cuts across the network.”

London Underground says the changes are part of its modernisation process. As more and more passengers use the automated Oyster Card system, it says fewer staff are needed in ticket offices.

But the company admits some stations are under-staffed and it is looking to recruit more workers.

Steve Griffiths, London Underground's chief operating officer, said: “It is clear that some more staff for stations are needed. We have started to recruit them and will continue to work with the unions to implement the recommendations made in the review. We believe that this will help us to provide a better service for our customers and ensure that they continue to feel safe, secure and able to access the right help while using our network.

“We encourage the trade unions to continue working with us in order to resolve this dispute and deliver the customer service our customers expect.”