London Underground drivers are to stage a series of 24-hour strikes over the coming months in a dispute over the introduction of a four-day week, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has announced.
The union, which represents Tube workers, announced eight days of strikes will take place in the run-up to Christmas and in the New Year.
Militant members of the RMT union plan to walk out in opposition to the plans to introduce a voluntary four-day working week.
The union argued drivers would spend more time behind the wheel even though Transport for London (TfL) previously said drivers would be working fewer hours.
The Aslef union pointed out the strikes were 'a strange choice to make' given that drivers would have an extra 35 days off a year.
Under the plans, TfL says most drivers would work similar hours but over four days instead of five, meaning drivers would work longer days.
The RMT instead wants a 32-hour week over four days, meaning drivers would work three fewer hours each week for the same salary.
Tube drivers get paid an average of £73,700 a year, which is around £25,000 more than the capital's median salary. Some more senior staff earn even more than this.
A member of the public stands outside Angel Station in London during a strike
The plans also include establishing a new Trains Modernisation Framework which if not accepted by drivers would result in them being placed in a flexible pool of staff.
Flexible staff drivers would then be deployed depending on the requirements of London Underground management.
The series of rolling strikes are set to begin at midday on November 26, December 17 and 19, January 4 and 6, and February 17, 23 and 25.
RMT's hard-Left boss Eddie Dempsey claimed the plans are a 'wholesale attack' on its members' working conditions.
He said: 'There is nothing voluntary about a scheme that forces drivers to give up existing protections whether they work four days or five, and threatens those who refuse with displacement from their depots.'
Mr Dempsey complained that drivers are being expected to spend more time driving trains and take on 'more unpredictable' shift patterns.
'This is not about improving work-life balance,' he said. 'It is about squeezing more work out of fewer drivers while giving management greater flexibility at the expense of our members.'
He said the RMT is not against a 'genuine' four-day working week that benefits their members but added that the current plans must be scrapped.
'London Underground must withdraw these damaging proposals and engage seriously with the union to reach a negotiated settlement.
'Our members are determined to defend their jobs, working conditions and the safety of the Underground, and they have our union's full support in taking strike action.'
Aslef's London Underground organiser, Finn Brennan, said he was 'surprised' that the RMT decided to take strike action to stop drivers from having a four-day week.
'The voluntary four-day week gives Tube train drivers an extra 35 days off every year with rosters based on a 34-hour week in return for some changes to working conditions and moving to electronic, rather than paper-based, systems for booking on for duty.'
Mr Brennan added that Aslef were in talks with TfL about how the four-day week would work in practice.
'Management have agreed that anyone who wants to keep working a five-day week will be able to do so without suffering any detriment, and we will be holding them to that.
Tube trains parked up at Lillie Bridge Depot in west London when strikes took place on June 4
'A strike designed to stop people having the choice of a shorter working week and more time off is a strange choice to make.'
Richard Holden, Tory transport spokesman, said: 'These RMT militants who bankroll hand-picked Labour MPs do not care about better services, they do not care about passengers and they do not care about our capital city.'
Since the strikes were announced, the director of customer operations for London Underground Nick Dent said: 'We have engaged with our trade unions for months about our proposal for a new four-day working week.
'As a result of that engagement, drivers can now choose to remain on a five-day week with a guarantee of remaining at the same depot.'
Mr Dent said that the option would give drivers a 'real, meaningful choice' on when they work.
He continued: 'This will also mean less time at work for Tube drivers, while delivering a more efficient, reliable Tube service for our customers.'
'Given that we have provided this new option after their feedback, we urge the RMT to put this proposal to their members.'
Transport Programme Director at BusinessLDN, Ed Richardson, said the strikes will not bring any festive cheers for Londoners who rely on the Tube.
'While many people will be able to work from home or use other modes of travel, it will hit the hospitality sector particularly hard during the vital Christmas trading season,' he said.
'We urge both sides to reach an agreement urgently and avoid these damaging strikes.'
