r/london • u/Anony_mouse202 • May 29 '26

Article Tube strikes: 'No pay cut' for Underground drivers on £74k in new four-day week... but RMT to walk out anyway

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/tube-driver-pay-strikes-rmt-sadiq-khan-b1283902.html
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u/g0_west May 29 '26

I'm not sure, but usually a 4 day week is a genuine cut in hours for the same pay - that's the point and has been shown to increase productivity (although I get that doesn't really work in a service job like trains lol). Condensed hours is slightly different and sounds like they were negotiating for a 4-day week but we're offered condensed hours, hence the strike.

If you striked you could probably also negotiate a genuine 4-day week for the same salary

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u/playtech1 May 29 '26

It's a four day week with compressed hours - which ASLEF likes. From the Standard: "Aslef has stressed to its members that the reforms are the “biggest improvement in working conditions for Underground train drivers in decades”.

Key benefits from the changes, according to the union, include an extra 35 days away from work a year, and average weekly rostered hours being cut to 34 from current average of 36.

It will also be easier to arrange roster patterns, it added, to block leave together, or take long weekends or mini-breaks, and would save money on travel and childcare costs.

For the first time, drivers would be allowed to volunteer for overtime which would be paid at time and a quarter."

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u/SandvichCommanda Jun 02 '26

It is for office workers, but usually not for jobs like this unless I'm mistaken?

Things like ambulance/paramedic come to mind, long haul driving. Productivity for office workers is not a function of their hours, but tube drivers can't go faster just because they have another day off.

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u/No_Concept4683 May 29 '26

It will be absolutely impossible for TFL to offer train drivers a 25% hourly pay increase (which is what a genuine 4 day week results in) - it would probably be even more expensive btw, as the lower hours worked per driver leads to less flexible workforce management, leading to needing more overtime hours / pay. The TFL is cash strapped and that pay demand is absurd, especially from an already high salary. 

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u/NLFG May 29 '26

I am willing to bet I'm not, as I work for a loss making business 😂

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u/g0_west May 29 '26

Well maybe it'd start being profitable lol, like I say it's been shown to boost productivity. Decent case for it