London commuters face two weeks of disruption as tube strikes loom

London commuters will face two separate weeks of disruption in May and June after tube drivers announced planned dates to strike over the sacking of two workers.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union announced that its members who work as London Underground drivers will stage three 24-hour walkouts during the week beginning 16 May and a further three during the week starting 13 June.

RMT members voted 2-1 in favour of strike action over the sacking of a Northern Line driver, Eamon Lynch, and a Bakerloo Line driver, Arwyn Thomas.

Both men have taken their cases to employment tribunals and were awarded interim relief, in which the employer is asked whether or not it is willing to reinstate the employee pending the outcome of the complaint.

Interim relief is only awarded if the tribunal believes that the employee is likely to succeed with their claim. Thomas has been put back on full pay as a result.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow commented: “It is the abject failure of London Underground to recognise that their policy of victimisation of union activists has been well and truly rumbled both in employment tribunals and in their own depots that has left us with no choice but to name these dates for strike action.”

The strikes are likely to cause disruption to many companies as their employees struggle to get to work. Employers will face the dilemma of whether or not to pay staff that have not been able to get to the office.

According to guidance from XpertHR, there is no obligation to pay employees for missed time if they fail to attend work or arrive late due to public transport disruptions.

However, there are other options available to companies facing disruption, such as allowing staff to work from home.

For guidance on dealing with travel disruptions, view XpertHR’s guide on how to deal with employment issues caused by severe weather or disruptions to public transport.