London Tube strikes suspended by RMT union as London Mayor Sadiq Khan steps in to help progress pay talks

A strike affecting large swathes of Tube services in London has been called off after the RMT union confirmed that further pay talks are taking place.

Most services on the London Underground were due to be cancelled or delayed after it was announced that strike action would be taken between Sunday evening and Friday morning. With around three million daily commuters, widespread disruption was expected.

However, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has now confirmed that "positive discussions" have led the way for further talks over pay. Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, said:  “Following further positive discussions today, the negotiations on a pay deal for our London Underground members can now take place on an improved basis and mandate with significant further funding for a settlement being made available.

“This significantly improved funding position means the scheduled strike action will be suspended with immediate effect and we look forward to getting into urgent negotiations with TfL [Transport for London] in order to develop a suitable agreement and resolution to the dispute.”

In previous talks, TfL had offered the union a 5% pay increase. The union was unhappy with the below-inflation offer, which TfL described as "the most we can afford".

However, an intervention by London Mayor Sadiq Khan has seen "additional funds" provided to allow pay talks to continue and the possibility of week-long disruption brought to an end. However, Tube commuters have been warned that some disruption may still take place on Monday morning due to the last-minute suspension of industrial action.

A Transport for London spokesperson said: “This intervention from the mayor has been discussed with the unions, and the RMT union has now suspended the planned strike action. However, as the action has been suspended at this late stage, Londoners will still face disruption tomorrow and we advise all customers to check the TfL website or the TfL Go app for the latest travel information.

“We will now meet with representatives of all the unions to agree on the best way for this funding to be used to resolve the current dispute. We will also seek to meet as soon as possible with the unions representing TfL staff. We always strive to work constructively with the unions and avoid disruption to London.”

Mr Khan added: “I’m delighted that this week’s Tube strikes have now been suspended. They would have caused huge disruption for Londoners and would have been a major blow to the capital’s businesses at the worst possible time. The week of action would have cost our hospitality industry £50 million alone. This shows what can be achieved by engaging and working with trade unions and transport staff, rather than working against them.