March tube strikes cancelled amid ongoing negotiations

Trade union RMT has confirmed that two 24-hour strikes by London Underground drivers, which were due to take place between March 24 and 27, have been called off.

The roll back comes amid ongoing negotiations regarding the imposition of a condensed hours four-day week.

All other strike dates from April onwards remain in place, and fresh strike action on June 16 and 18 have now been put in place.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the cancellation of next week’s strikes was “positive news for Londoners, businesses and visitors.”

When the original strike dates were announced earlier this month, UKHospitality chair Kate Nicholls said they would “have a devastating impact on London’s hospitality businesses”, while Night Time Industries Association chief executive Michael Kill said “when the Underground stops, the night-time economy suffers immediately”.

Five days of industrial action in September last year cost the sector up to an estimated £110m, with operators hit by cancellations and a drop in footfall as many office workers defaulted to working from home.

The hospitality industry suffered £4b in lost sales as a result of network disruption between 2022 and 2024, according to UKHospitality.