Chaos: Desperate passengers battle to get on the bus

Chaos: The scene at Oxford Circus

Union leader: Bob Crow

Derailed: Tube trains were standing idle

Desperate: Travellers are in for a long wait

Bus crush: Commuters struggle to get home on overcrowded buses at Oxford Street

Grim-faced: Passengers at Waterloo

Rush hour: Crowds try to get into St Paul's Station but the gates are shut

Reader views (65)

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I don't understand all the fuss about the underground. Let them strike as long as they want. Just replace the underground staff with the Army! Why not train Army people to run the tube when the tube people on their countless strikes again?

- Kai, London

RMT has sealed its fate with this one. Their demands may indeed get met in the short term, but the carpet will slowly be pulled out from under them henceforth. For the simple reason that their actions have shown that the United Kingdom itself is vulnerable to their sense of entitlement.

- Max, London

Well done to Bob Crow and his members for being the last real Union that does 100% for its members regarding their rights.

- Amir, Stepney East London

Unions should not be allowed to take such action it is selfish and self-centred. Affecting the lives of millions of Londoners and costing the economy millions!

- Adam Mason, London UK

London's transport system should not be held to ransom.

- Peter R, London

I agree that this is a major inconvenience but the RMT is right to make a stand. The cost-cutting culture is taking over all aspects of the workplace and we cannot afford to allow TfL to trample on the rights of the people that keep the underground safe.

- Paul, Harrow

I have no sympathy for the strikers, there is no such thing as a job for life. They should sack the lot of you!

- Guy, London

I work in a corporate environment and this is laughable - sack the lot of them. Have they forgot that we are the one's that pay their wages - despicable service at the best of times let alone this debacle.

- Tracey, London

I work for the Underground, if you remember when the PPP was being forced through we where fighting for it to stay in the Public sector, now we have a private consortium who have been inefficient in every way and ultimately went bust through gross incompetence.

Since the PPP we have had numerous derailments etc, We the frontline Underground staff feel your frustration, We have been complaining to deaf ears about the day to day problems we have faced from these infracos.

I as well as my colleagues have come in to work to assist you with alternative routes/help if we could do anything else we would.

I hope there is a lesson learnt from this mess and the Government regulates the unions. Dont get me wrong we need unions but this is a total injustice to the whole of London.

Go in peace people.

- Adam Smaith, London

RMT holding Londoners to ransom is an absolute disgrace. I come from Mumbai where the suburban network is operated by the Railways and it is the lifeline of the city. There has never been any strike. Train drivers there continue to operate come rain or high storm because they are driven by a sense of service to the commuters.

I say sack the whole striking RMT lot and get rid of them. Let us not bow down to those who have no sense of the misery inflicted upon the common man due to their reckless actions.

- Murali Mohan, Maida Vale, London

Sack the lot of them. If they had done their jobs properly in the first place instead of twiddling their thumbs all day, Metronet would never have gone bankrupt.

- Rosanne, Amersham, UK

Just like the banks it is about time Crow and the RMT got their comeuppance - a raft of claims for damages for loss of earnings, distress and inconvenience not to mention possible personal injury caused by the long walks this strike has caused would really hit where it hurts - the pocket. If the Union wants to exercise an antiquated out of date selfish form of so called industrial action to get their own way they should compensate those who lose financially because of it.

- Lmw, Surrey, UK

Ever noticed how tube staff are nowhere to be seen on strike days? When most other union members strike there is high visibility - people picketing etc. In my opinion its just another excuse for a day off - in addition to the 52 days paid leave they are entitled to! Is it just me or does this smack of sheer laziness? Maybe's that's the reason that Metronet staff are in this position in the first place.

- Michelle, London

Am I missing something? Why is everyone rushing to blame Bob Crow, TfL and the Mayor when the real culprit is Gordon Brown, who forced through this costly and ill-conceived PPP when Chancellor? The whole scheme was doomed from the start and its about time the Prime Minister was held to account for his role in causing it.

- Diggory, Ealing

Mr. Crow is wrong - the British public does not support him. If we did that would have been a case of Stockholm syndrome - RMT is holding us hostage after all!

- Anne, London

Sorry guys, the days of holding people to ransom are long gone, and the days of striking to gather public support for your cause are too.

You will gain nothing by isolating yourselves. This isn't the 1970's, all you are doing is harming your cause, putting the public on the side of your employer and making yourselves look very childish.

- Barry, Bury St Edmunds

They strike every summer as soon as the weather gets nice. I wonder what the excuses will be in Summer 2008 and 2009? All future pay increases for tube staff should be dependent on a no-strike agreement.

- Liz, Ealing, UK

I'm very impressed that Bob Crow has taken the time out from his villa in Marbella to come back and strike with the people that he represents. It's a shame he's unable to do anything constructive for the people that he represents such as negotiate or agree to the very generous terms that his union members have been offered.

- Drummond, London, UK

Maybe it is time to bring in no strike legislation for people working in vital industries. As we already have it for police and prison officers. Then London could no longer be held to ransom. But would a Labour government ever introduce this?

- Catherine Patey, Tunbridge Wells

In response to Will Harris' comment, the staff who are on strike are highly skilled, hard working and efficient employees. Their pensions and job security shouldn't suffer because the private businessmen who took them over don't know how to utilise them. The upper management of Metronet don't know and have'nt bothered to learn how to run a railway and now that they're going under they don't care about the staff being left behind.

The RMT are doing their duty to their members.

- Steve, Kent

I do not know why these folks should enjoy a priviledged position, whilst the rest of us in the real world have had our pensions comprehensively looted to pay for them and other public sector workers. Bob Crow and his ilk should be thankful of the protected positions they have. It is unacceptable that in this age, a minority of bolshy workers led by a marxist dinosaur should hold the whole capital, and much of the south east to ransom.

- Bex, Ramsgate, UK

I live in Bermuda where the public transport sure beats London. Rum Swizzle anyone?

- Peter Smith, Bermuda

"These people exist in a totally unrealistic-world - one which has long since ceased to exist in the commercial workplace in Britain. Well said, Nick Coombes of Exeter - couldn't put it better myself.

I do think the Oyster card system is pretty good, though, despite what someone else said. The rest of us can't help it if some of you hold everyone up by not putting the thing flat(tish) against the reader - it's really easy, you know.

- Karli, London

Good on you Milly, go for it! Why do I live in Manchester? -Partly because of the trials and tribulations of commuting on the dreaded Northern Line when I lived there (that and property prices of course). Now Manchester wants to install a congestion sharge and it hasn't even got a transport infrastucture in place! Don't planners plan anymore. I empathise with you all today.

- Mancperson, Manchester

This is utter madness! 3million Londoners crammed onto one line is not cool. Buses cannot handle the rush, and the tube will just end up in delays with the amount of passengers that it has to sustain.

The fact that a handful of people who are legally prohibited from striking have now caused millions of people huge grief is unacceptable. A contract by law should be honoured. Any problems; queries; complaints; dissapointments etc, should be handled privately.

As a person working in a competitive, corporate environment that is constantly on-the-go, I become outraged by inconsiderate individuals/goups who think it appropriate to disrupt the lives of so many.
What happened to the negotiations that were planned to avert this action?

- Daniele Reniers, London UK

What has Gordon Brown got to say about all this? His silence is deafening!

- P.Robinson, Northants

The French arriving on the new Eurostar service should feel completely at home. Strikes like this are commonplace in France!

- Nigel, London

Hope these workers dont complain in the future when doctors go on strike and cant have their operations. Or when the firemen go on strike again, I reckon they wont say anything when their house is on fire.

If it is the right of every worker to go on strike, there should be some laws to regulate it.

Back in my home country (Spain), the Goverment would set up some minumum services that have to be met. Say, instead of trains every 5 min, they would run every 15.

At least for me, no sympathy for the tube workers. And I'm ready to commute by bus as long as it takes.

- Javier Mendez, London

Can there be a union in history that has had less public support than these lazy idiots with their arrogant sense of entitlement?

The company has gone bankrupt on due to financial incompetence, poor senior management and at least in part to the ineffectiveness of it workers. In what other company would those staff get 'cast iron guarantees' to keep their jobs? Pensions, yes, but to guarantee the status quo is surely a quick route to a repeat of the same debacle.

I ride a bike to work, but it doesn't make me loathe these people any less.

- Tim Coombe, London

Why dont the government outlaw these strikes that supposedly cost the country £50 million per day. Surely the ensuing fight with the pre-historic Neanderthal unions, would put an end to this nonsense once and for all. Unions you do NOT have the support of Londoners. You are the pits !

- G N London, Reading, England

I think you are being a bit hard of the RMT union.

After all, this morning on LBC, one of the RMT's officials apologised for the inconvenience caused to us commuters. It was truly heartwarming to hear his fine words as it makes this strike alright.

Then I thought of the poor downtrodden Tube workers with their final salary pensions and 40+ days annual holiday which made me ashamed that we should be upset by the strike. We are being very selfish in ignoring their plight - never mind our own jobs and pensions are not secure.

Then I thought of their wise, gracious and charming leader, Bob Crow - this is the bulldog spirit that once made this country great.

And then I woke up!

- Keith, London

London is made a laughing stock among the world's major cities because of the continued striking by the RMT union.

I hope those who are part of the strike are having a nice day in the sunshine!

- Alix, London, UK

The splendidly named Milly Mossop is correct - use the dry and not so warm weather as a chance to try walking to work. I did Kings X to Tower Bridge in 64 minutes. I may never use the Northern Line for work again.


- Keith, Kings Cross

Why cant the government bring in legislation to ban the tube workers from striking, the RMT always put London to ransom with their ridiculous demands, they should sack all the people who go on strike.

If Gordon cant do this, we need a new Thatcher mark 2, to sort them out quickly before the whole country comes to a halt.


- Kuldip, London, UK

Thanks RMT I really needed you making my work life more difficult, much appreciated.

- Peter Wilson, Essex, UK

The worrying thing is that presumably a majority of union members voted for this strike in a ballot.

I would like to see how the ballot papers were worded, I cannot imagine how a Metronet employee in this situation being properly informed of the reality of the situation, could think that strike action is a good idea.

Or do they just vote "yes" to every crazy piece of strike action Crowe calls?

- Tim, London

Crow was saying the he was sorry to the public but he had his members to think about. The fact is he couldn't give a stuff about the paying public and holds them in very low regard, even though they pay his wages.


- Mark, St Albans

The amount of novice idiots on bicycles made the roads unbelievably dangerous today - each one of them thought they were in the Tour De France and a risk to their own health and those around them.

- Leona, London

Ironic isn't it that on the day Eurostar completes its maiden high-speed journey to St Pancras, the self-serving tube workers go on strike.

Harry is right by the way. the Northern line DOES run better when there is a strike.

I gave up with the tube ages ago. I drive now. But let's not give in to the strikers this time. Lets sit it out and sack the lot of them!

- Simonk, London

I walked home to Canary Wharf from my office in Central London, and I would happily continue to do this until there are reassurances that the service staff who maintain our tube network are guaranteed long-term jobs and pension rights.
Despite comments in today's paper, as I understand it this is all up for grabs when a new contract is finally negotiated - the only guarantee they have received is for the short-term.
Since hospital cleaning staff have been 'contracted out' rather than being employed as full-time, valued members of staff, the levels of MRSA have risen dramatically.
If you want a good tube network that provides a good service then give the people who deliver that service the dignity of an honest wage, the right to a pension and a proper contract.

- Cc, London

I cannot understand how one union is not satisfied with the assurances given by the relevant bodies, when the other unions have been accepted them. The time has come to change the law and ban strikes by transport staff. The RMT should not be allowed to hold London to ransom!

- Terry, London

Let's see a class action suit against the RMT. They should be forced to repay all those who have lost out financially from the strike.

- Marc, Harrow, UK

Adversity always seems to bring out the best in people. Walking along very crowded pavements this morning there was less pushing and shoving than normal and the occasional smile. Only spoilt by the usual boorish cyclists that don't unerstand the highway code!

- Michael, London

For those of us that have family commitments, we also have the dilemma of worrying about whether we will be late to pick up our children from minders or after school clubs, if we are, it costs us extra on top of the fees we already pay.
If we really cannot make it in to work, our employers ask us to take A/L.

The strikers just keep on taking and those of us who have to use their services are left at their mercy.

- Nibs, London

My tube journey takes about the same time walking does. As I have taken up walking lately anyway, I might vote with my feet soon and not renew my season ticket at the end of the year...

Anyone joining me?

- Iris, Kent

Now is the time to say enough is enough and stop these people; if not they will carry on and destroy the Olympics; TFL must know that you cannot trust them and here is the result of always giving in to them. London will be prepared to suffer for 1 month to deal with them once and for all; give them notice that unless they agree to a new no strike contract within 1 month they will be sacked; get in the army and managers to run the tubes, advertise and train new drivers during this period and rid London of these vermin who are only interested in themselves and their outdated Social Worker Party neanderthal political aims. Other world cities have done this successfully why can't we?

- Mitch, Epping Essex

I have a solution, why not get rid of all of these supposed tube workers and replace them with a workforce that actually wants to work and contribute to the running of London without holding us all to ransom. Their demands are completely out dated anyway - who in this day in age has 100% job security!?

- Elle, W1

Bob Crowe, you are not a workers hero, or revolutionary.

- Daveb, London

Bob Crow is this decade's version of Arthur Scargill and remember what happened to him. He used his union to espouse his own extreme political views on the pretext of protecting his members. He was reviled by the public and no-one missed him when he disappeared from public life.

- Ab, London

Fortunately, I can work from home occasionally, but this action in this day and age is ridiculous. What has Brown got to say about this? Where is the legal action against the RMT?

- Mal, Brackley, Northants

Sack the lot of them. It is a disgrace that they can't accept that there is no such thing as a job for life any more.

Bob Crow is a sad throwback to the worst of the union men that nearly crippled our economy in the 1970s.

- James, London, United Kingdom

"Only the Northern and Jubilee lines are working normally."

One train every 15 minutes during rush hour is not running normally. What a joke. Such a disgrace

- Cat, London

Here we go again, the annual 'bring London to its knees' fest by Bob Crow and his RMT union. This man and his bunch of well paid whingers need to be kicked into touch before we host the 2012 Olympic Games otherwise we'll be a laughing stock to the whole world with a truly dreadful underground system. It can hardly cope with the numbers using it now and Bob will only see it as an excuse to hold us to ransom once again when the eyes of the world are watching our every move. There needs to be changes to the strike laws in this country to stop this annual nonsense from holding Londoners to ransom.

- Paul Wilson, London, UK

Why do they always strike when it is sunny weather? I am only just being cynical here?
Shame we have to go to work we cannot strike in the private sector.

- Georgie, London

The DLR was a joy this morning. God bless the toy-train and Serco, an example of where private providers are being effective.

- Paul, London

Bizarre today that Eurostar is flaunting it's new supa fast Paris service whilst TFL leads the way by inflaming labour issues and causing a grinding tube halt.

- William Grierson, Kimpton, UK

Metronet went bust because their staff are the worlds most inefficient. Now they want their jobs guaranteed after causing the very bankruptcy that put them in this position to begin with.

Perhaps if the management were held responsible for the profitability or not of Metronet and only efficient and hard working maintenance people were kept on, the new company won't go bust and the jobs of workers worth having would be secure.

Union madness!

- Will Harris, London, UK

This strike is really unfair to the hard working people of London who rely on the underground to get to work each day. The RMT gains no sympathy by behaving this way. We can't go on strike and say we won't go to work because conditions getting there are appalling. Any strike that forces people who pay their hard earned money to suffer more should be made illegal and those involved should come to some agreement before it goes this far in the first place! An RMT strike is a strike against the good people of London.

- S. Brahm, London

The London Tube is a total joke compared to other transportation systems around the world. Endless needless strikes, poor service, overpaid workers often away causing stations to close, an Oyster card system that works only half as well as the old card system, fares that are about three times higher than anywhere else.

As far as this illegal strike, my suggestion is to fully privatize the London Tube, and let its workers know what it's like to work in the real world.

- Phil Jones, London UK

On the upside, I'm going to have buns of steel by the time I've walked from SW9 to WC2 and back three times this week. I took this tube strike as an opportunity to give up smoking and get fit and perky, and I'm enjoying myself enormously so far. Who needs the dirty, stressy, plonky tube anyway?

- Milly Mossop, London, UK.

TfL and the Mayor really need to get a grip with Crowe and his henchmen. As we approach the Olympics the RMT's pay claims and gripes about terms and conditions are bound to become more and more outlandish and London is going to be held to ransom by these neanderthal numpties.

On a brighter, slightly ironic note, my Northern Line journey this morning from Woodside Park to Charing Cross ran like a dream.

- Harry, London

Best thing is to jump on yer bike. On Tube strike days, cycling in central London around rush hour is far safer as most motor vehicles are gridlocked and stationary so all you have to do is negotiate round them. Good day for beginners to start cycling in London and join the throngs of people who already do!

- Headhunter, London

The Union had no reason to strike - its ridiculous! They always bring London to a standstill. Whereas the prison officers had a reason to strike. It's about time this Government took control!

- Jk, London

I guess a day outside for these workshy people was needed with the weather being nice this week?

- Alexandra, London

Here we go again!

Once again these freeloaders on the state gravy train think they have a God given right to have a job for life.

The sort of rights they demand don't exist for all those tube commuters going to work in the private sector.

- Ranjan, Archway

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