RMT Feels for Talks as Tube Strikes 2026 Loom
tube strikes 2026 could still be called off after a source close to the dispute said RMT representatives had put out feelers to seek a deal with TfL. London Underground drivers are due to strike for two 24-hour periods from midday on Tuesday and Thursday next week, a dispute that would close some lines entirely and disrupt travel across London until the weekend.
Claire Mann and TfL
Claire Mann, TfL's chief operating officer, said: "It is disappointing that the RMT is planning this strike action despite our best efforts to resolve this dispute." She also said: "We have been clear that our proposals for a four-day week are designed to improve work-life balance and are entirely voluntary."
TfL said it was not too late for the RMT to withdraw its planned strike action. The union has not yet held talks with TfL, even as the dispute continues over a planned four-day week working pattern.
Lines Affected Next Week
TfL warned that many services would not operate next week. No trains at all were expected on the Circle line, the Piccadilly line, and in zone 1 on the Metropolitan line and the Central line. The Elizabeth line, London Overground, DLR and buses were due to run as normal, although TfL said buses could slow because of higher demand and traffic.
The action follows a similar wave of strikes in April, and more strikes are planned for June. TfL said the RMT members involved are almost half of London’s tube drivers, while Aslef backed TfL's proposals for the four-day week. A source close to the dispute described a "window of opportunity" for a deal and said: "It is clear TfL needs to move from its uncompromising position and make some new proposals that do not impose new working conditions that tube drivers will not accept. An opportunity exists for the employer to do the right thing by Londoners and make a reasonable offer to the union."
For passengers, the immediate point is simple: the strike may yet be withdrawn, but the timetable next week still stands unless the union changes course. Anyone relying on the Circle, Piccadilly, Metropolitan or Central lines will need a different plan for the two strike days, while the rest of the network faces pressure from passengers shifting onto the services that are still running.
April and June Dispute
Data from the April strikes showed overall TfL patronage fell only 13-14% on most strike days and approached normal levels on Friday, suggesting the network can recover quickly once the stoppage ends. But the planned June action keeps the dispute open, and the next practical step is whether the union takes the feelers for talks into formal negotiations before next week.
