'Heavy Handed'
Hammersmith and City and Circle Line tube drivers walked out over what the RMT Union called "heavy handed and aggressive management, including putting staff toilet breaks on a stop watch."
Dubbed the 'toilet break strike,' drivers voted in favor of industrial action.
"This dispute is about the basic issues of protecting working conditions of our members and defending agreements from attempts to drive a coach and horses through them. The management are out of control and the anger at their failure to follow procedures has boiled over."
But patience also boiled over for many commuters who appeared on Twitter to have very little sympathy for the drivers and their toilet troubles.
The tube strike over a toilet break is an absolute joke #TFL #Underground #London get back to work you idiots
— Im Arnie Keena (@Im__ArnieKeena) September 16, 2016
Tube strike over some minority of drivers feeling that a one hour toilet break is not sufficient. #idiots https://t.co/Jin6EXupq4
— Roger Teoh (@rhsteoh) September 16, 2016
The strike was called after managers reportedly noticed a minority of drivers were spending so long in the lavatory that their train had to be cancelled or a new driver found.
London Underground hit by toilet break strike — Flushed with embarrassment they are going round the bend…etc etc https://t.co/QdH9QNCfOg
— Transport-network (@transport_net) September 15, 2016
'Stopwatch Claim'
Transport for London (TfL) deny the "stopwatch claim." A spokesperson said: "We would refute that. Our staff are able to take reasonable toilet breaks."
The strike, which only affects two underground lines nevertheless brought out the worst in unsympathetic commuters who didn't fancy the walk in the rain.
@TfL Now lightning and rain. Being Third World London the entire Tube most likely shuts down. Enjoy the Hammy Smiths & Circle lines strike.
— Johnny Canucklehead (@JCanucklehead) September 16, 2016
