It’s not about pay, surprisingly. I mean, that usually is the main event. But this time, the RMT union says it’s about safety and schedules.
Specifically, boss-managers want to shake up rest times. They want drivers to work more unsocial hours without proper breaks. Sound familiar? It’s like your office deciding to make you check emails at 2 AM for fun, but with thousands of lives in your hands.
The “driver only operation” elephant in the room
Oh, and there’s this little thing called Driver Only Operation (DOO). That’s when the driver runs the doors and the train solo. No second guard to help if something goes wrong.
Drivers say it’s a safety risk. Management says it’s modern efficiency. I say, try driving a packed Central Line train during a heatwave without backup—and then tell me it’s “fine.”
So, yeah. They’re striking. And if you’ve ever stood on a sweaty platform in July, you might be nodding along, secretly rooting for them.
