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London Tube strike into fourth day with limited service London Tube strike union boss calls for meeting with Sadiq Khan
(about 2 hours later)
The majority of stations will remain closed until Friday morning A majority of Tube stations across London remained closed on Wednesday
Most London Underground services remain suspended as a walkout by staff continues for a fourth day. The union leader of striking Tube workers has called for a summit including the mayor of London to try to resolve a dispute over pay and working hours.
Thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are carrying out a "rolling strike" in a dispute over pay and its unmet demand for a shorter working week of 32 hours - which Transport for London (TfL) says is "unaffordable". Thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are taking industrial action this week, which has crippled London Underground services, causing travel chaos in the capital.
About 90 Tube stations opened on Wednesday - at the ends of the Northern, Central, Metropolitan and District lines - but most routes through central London are closed. On Wednesday, the union's general secretary Eddie Dempsey repeated his call for Sir Sadiq Khan - the chairman of Transport for London (TfL) - to intervene in the dispute.
The RMT union general secretary Eddie Dempsey has repeated his calls for the mayor of London to intervene and help resolve the dispute. Sir Sadiq Khan has been approached for comment. The mayor's office said Sir Sadiq has "ensured TfL is ready to restart talks" with the union to resolve the dispute.
Service has resumed on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) after it was suspended due to strike action on Tuesday, while the Elizabeth and Overground lines remain open. The RMT union's central demand from TfL is for a shorter working week for members of 32 hours.
The Hammersmith & City and Circle lines are operating between Hammersmith and Edgeware Road, TfL says. TfL said this was "impractical and unaffordable" and would cost the network £200m per year.
TfL said it had offered staff a 3.4% pay rise, but that shorter working hours would be "unaffordable", with a 32-hour week predicted to cost the network around £200m per year. The transport body also said it had made a 3.4% pay offer to workers.
The RMT union said it did not expect an 32-hour week immediately, but wanted a gradual reduction. Talks to avert the strike broke down last weekend, Mr Dempsey previously said.
Speaking at the TUC Congress in Brighton, Mr Dempsey called on Sir Sadiq to attend a summit with the union in a bid to find a resolution. Speaking at the TUC Congress in Brighton, Mr Dempsey called on Sir Sadiq to attend a summit with the union to help resolve the dispute.
"I've got a message for the mayor," he said. "I've got a message for the mayor," he told delegates.
"Stop going on social media, invite us to the meeting, let's have a discussion, because I want to know what is going on in London." "Instead of going on social media, instead of the old tired cliches, telling trades unionists to get round the table... invite us to the meeting, let's have a discussion, because I want to know what is going on in London.
He warned of more strike action if there was no resolution to the dispute, adding: "We take no pleasure in causing disruption but we make no apology for fighting for our members." "We take no pleasure in causing disruption but we make no apology for fighting for our members."
Nick Dent, TfL director of customer operations and head of the negotiation team, said they were "very keen" to work with RMT and wanted the union to put the 3.4% pay rise offer to its members. The number of bicycle rentals in London Wednesday increased by nearly 100% on last week
Most London Underground services remained suspended on Wednesday, although about 90 stations on the outskirts of the network were open.
TfL said that, as a result, more people travelled on the Docklands Light Railway, Elizabeth line and London Overground as well as buses and bicycles.
By 15:00 BST, there had been 19,608 cycle hires - up by 93% on last Wednesday.
Depot managers and signallers from the RMT are among those who have taken strike action this week.
TfL has said it was "disappointed" the strike had gone ahead, despite its pay offer.
Earlier, Nick Dent, TfL's director of customer operations, said TfL was "very keen" to work with RMT union and said its pay offer had not been put to workers.
"They launched their ballot before we'd made any pay offer, so members were voting without understanding what the pay offer actually was," he said."They launched their ballot before we'd made any pay offer, so members were voting without understanding what the pay offer actually was," he said.
Depot managers and signallers from the RMT are among those withdrawing their labour.
Londoners have used a combination of boats, bikes and buses to get around the capital, with a large spike in bike rental schemes.
The prime minister and the mayor of London are among those calling for both sides to negotiate after talks broke down last Wednesday morning.The prime minister and the mayor of London are among those calling for both sides to negotiate after talks broke down last Wednesday morning.
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