Frustrated commuters today slammed striking Tube drivers for “tortuous” delays as a walkout crippled the Central line and shut the Waterloo & City Line.
Passengers - many of whom were caught by surprise by the shutdown in central London - were warned disruption would last all day with major problems affecting journeys home tonight.
April's Tube strike chaos - in pictures
The Central line, regarded as the “backbone” of the Tube network with 900,000 passengers a day, was suspended between Leytonstone and White City, with only shuttle services on its suburban sections.
Amanda Higginson, 45, from London Bridge, said: “When things like this happens it messes up your whole day. I’m going to have to get the 25 bus all the way to Oxford Street in traffic - God knows what time I’ll get to work.”
Andrew Matthews, 28, from Southend, who was travelling to Oxford Street, said: “I didn’t even know it was on and it’s not ideal. I do think it’s pretty selfish.”
The 24-hour strike is over allegations of bullying by London Underground management that has allegedly left some drivers “in tears” after being reprimanded for delays of “seconds” in departing from train depots. A second walkout is planned for next month - with the threat of more strikes to come.
Thomas Lebourg, 27, a banker who lives near Oxford Circus, said: “Being French I’m used to this kind of thing. If you were in Paris the whole of the Metro would be down.”
Karen Wilkin, 54, a civil servant from Hainault, said: “It would normally take me 40 minutes to get to Tottenham Court Road. But this morning I had to get the bus to Ilford to get here, and now I’m going to walk to get the Northern line so it’s really frustrating. I do have sympathy for the strikers but I wasn’t aware of it until yesterday. Who knows what time I’m going to get home.”
Tube bosses condemned the strike as “unnecessary” accusing the Aslef train drivers’ union of refusing to work to timetable agreements “recognised and accepted across all other lines”. Drivers belonging to the RMT refused to cross picket lines, adding to the problems.
Finn Brennan, Aslef London district organiser, said: “This dispute has been brought about by management intransigence on a range of issues but at its heart is management’s refusal to treat drivers with the respect and dignity they deserve at work.
“Our members will not tolerate a situation where vulnerable people leave sickness review meetings in tears with years and years of good and long service are threatened with disciplinary action for a delay of 33 seconds leaving a terminus.”
Two weeks of meetings at Acas, the conciliation service, failed to find a way forward in the long-running dispute.
Aslef accused London Underground of not having its senior staff at the meeting. Chris Taggart, Central line general manager, was said to be on holiday in Brazil.
A senior Aslef source said: “He has not been at meetings during the last two weeks – compare that with the criticism Bob Crow [the late RMT leader] received when he was in Brazil while talks were taking place here to settle another dispute.”
London Underground said all meetings were attended by senior staff. An Underground spokeswoman confirmed Mr Taggart was currently “on leave.”
She said that before Mr Taggart went on holiday he took part in talks with Aslef and senior staff were briefed to continue negotiations.
Nigel Holness, LU operations director, said: “Our staff and volunteers are working hard to keep London moving and I would advise our customers, where possible, please plan ahead and check before you travel.”
