Transport for London - the public transportation operator of the UK capital - warned travellers to brace for "severe disruption" on the tube on Monday amid a 24-hour strike. Many stations are expected be closed, especially in central and south London, and those that do open may only be accessible for limited periods.
According to reports, at least 4,000 London Underground staff are participating in the walkout, called by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), which effectively paralyses the subway from 8 a.m. Monday to 8 a.m. Tuesday, so TFL has advised against travel on the tube throughout that period "unless necessary".
Discontent among the tube workers comes as TfL plans to cut 600 jobs in order to reduce costs, according to the Guardian. The newspaper also reported, citing sources close to the union, that the entire network should be closed during the strike due to safety concerns.
"Safety is our top priority and we will be doing all we can to safely keep as many services running for our customers as possible," TfL said, addressing the strike.
TfL stated that the measures are necessary since London Underground is still suffering from diminished revenues amid the pandemic, and is reliant on additional emergency Treasury funding to this day.
It also stressed that the necessary steps won't lead to people losing their jobs, since they only stipulate that 500 to 600 posts won't be filled after they become vacant. However, attempts to reach an agreement between RMT and TfL have not been successful so far.