Central Line Strike on Friday

Central Line is on strike again on Friday

Fancy some last-minute Christmas shopping in Central London this weekend? Don't bank on it.

Tube drivers on the Central Line are on strike again, from 9pm on Friday, December 21, and continuing into Saturday until Midnight.

What's this about?
London Underground train drivers on the Central Line are to go on strike again on Friday 21st December from 9pm. The Waterloo & City line will also be affected.  Check before you travel and visit tfl.gov.uk/tube-strike or @TfLTravelAlerts for live information. Basically, don't try and get into town on Saturday.

Why are the strikes happening?
TFL say the strike is because a driver who failed a drugs test was dismissed by TFL. The RMT say it's because of “TfL’s failure to employ more staff” and the “victimisation of a trade union member”. You might think that a failing a drug test would be a pretty good reason to be rid of a driver in whose hands lie the safety of thousands of passengers.

Nice work if you can get it

In other news, it turns out that many Tube drivers make a staggering £100k a year - and that doesn't include the free travel. Pretty nice work if you can get it - I might apply myself.  Except that I can't, because it's a closed shop.

To cheer yourself up, watch the London Underground song below:

And, to imagine a utopian vision of the future with no drivers, and no strikes - follow this link.

Think it'll actually happen? Not if the RMT can help it.

The Shepherd's Bush Blog offers a personal view on life in Shepherd's Bush.  If you would like to contribute a story about our neighbourhood, email us at shepherdsbushblo(at)gmail.com.