UPDATE: These tube strikes have now been called off.
London will be hit by two 24-hour tube strikes in April and May.
The Aslef union has announced the planned walk-outs from members of their union, which will take place on Monday 8 April and Saturday 4 May.
Aslef's full time organiser on the London Underground, Finn Brennan, explains the reason for the strikes thus:
Despite a previous commitment to withdraw plans for massive changes to drivers' working conditions, London Underground management has established a full-time team of managers preparing to impose their plans.
They want drivers to work longer shifts, spending up to 25% more time in the cab, and to remove all current working agreements in the name of 'flexibility and efficiency'.
Everyone knows what these management buzz words really mean. It's about getting people to work harder and longer for less.
We're as yet to hear from TfL on this, although we would point out that, of late, a number of tube strikes have been called off (albeit rather last minute) — and we wouldn't be surprised if the same happens here, particularly so close to a Mayoral Election, when Sadiq Khan won't won't Londoners grumbling about the state of transport.
Assuming the strikes DO happen though, the entire tube network could be badly affected, with the usual limited services, or even entire line closures (again, at time of writing we don't have the details from TfL).
To add to passengers' woes, Aslef drivers also plan to strike across national rail services on Monday 8 April, which really would cause issues for people who need to be places that day.
April and May will also see disruption to London tram services; although the striking aspect of this has now been called off, major planned engineering works are still going ahead.
