Four-day week not enough for Tube drivers

A London Underground trade union has rejected an offer put forward by Tube bosses for a four-day working week, claiming an extra day off could “significantly impact” the working lives of drivers.

Under detailed plans seen by The Telegraph, Transport for London (TfL) managers offered Tube drivers a four-day working week that would have come into effect from 2027.

Yet more than 1,200 members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) voted against accepting the plans, even though shop stewards conceded that the proposal involved “significantly increased flexibility” for staff and London Underground managers alike.

Eddie Dempsey, the RMT’s newly installed general secretary, said in a note to union members on April 1: “I have advised the company that the offer is rejected and that RMT now expects the proposals to be withdrawn.”

The rejection comes after Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, signalled last year that four-day weeks could become the new norm across the public sector just days after Labour had imposed £25 billion of tax rises on businesses.

Yet officials from her own Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government said in November that it is “not government policy to support a general move to a four-day working week for five days’ worth of pay”, which The Telegraph understands is the RMT’s position.

Aslef, which represents a minority of unionised Tube drivers, has been urging its members to vote to accept the offer. Rejection by the majority RMT union, however, means the plans are dead.

Documents seen by The Telegraph revealed how the four-day week would have worked in practice on the London Underground.

In return for an extra day off, drivers would have been asked to work the same 35 hours a week that they do at present – while retaining their salaries of £72,849 and the generous travel perks that come with it.

Shifts on those four working days would have been lengthened by around 45 minutes, taking them to 8.5 hours on average.

‘Riddled with potential pitfalls’

The four-day week pledge was made by TfL last November to help fend off a series of threatened strikes in the run-up to Christmas.

RMT shop stewards responded by issuing leaflets urging their members to vote against the four-day working week.

“This plan is riddled with potential pitfalls that could significantly impact our working lives,” said one.

“The worst part – we would open ourselves up to significantly increased flexibility and the loss of numerous [trade union bargaining] agreements, before we even get to discussing a four-day week rota.”

The RMT has its own rival four-day week plan, which would see the number of weekly hours worked falling to 32 – and called on Sir Sadiq Khan to give its members priority access to social housing controlled by the Mayor of London.

A TfL spokesperson said: “As agreed in the last pay deal, we have set out to our trade unions how a four-day working week might work for train drivers.

“The changes would not require any changes to the number of contractual hours worked by drivers or any increase in drivers’ annual leave, and would improve reliability, improve our ability to flexibly deploy our drivers and enable us to offer a modern and efficient service while creating no additional cost.

“We’re aware that both trade unions have run a referendum of their members and we await all results. We will continue to engage with our trade unions about the four-day week and other points that would make London Underground better for our colleagues and our customers.”