Tube drivers call eight strikes, hitting London's last pre-Christmas shopping weekend

If you were planning a big Christmas shopping trip into central London, check your dates. Tube train drivers in the RMT union have called eight 24-hour strikes, and several of them land right before the holidays.

What happened?

The first walkout starts at noon on 26 November. Six of the eight strikes fall in the run-up to Christmas, including action from noon on Thursday 17 December and again on Saturday 19 December. That is the last shopping weekend before the big day, so few trains could be running.

Two more strikes are planned for early January, with further action in February.

What is the row about?

It is all about a four-day week for Tube drivers. Transport for London (TfL, the capital's transport authority) says the scheme would be voluntary. The RMT says it would "undermine existing agreements and worsen working conditions".

The union says it still has no guarantees that drivers can stay on their current five-day arrangements. It also believes the plans would make shift times worse and less predictable.

Eddie Dempsey, the RMT's general secretary, said London Underground was trying to "dress up a wholesale attack on drivers' working conditions as a voluntary four-day week". He said members would be asked to drive for longer and accept longer, less predictable shifts.

London Underground sees it differently. Nick Dent, its director of customer operations, said drivers can now choose to stay on a five-day week and keep the same depot. He said this option was added after union feedback, and urged the RMT to put the proposal to its members.

Why is everyone talking about it?

Business groups are worried. Karim Fatehi, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, called the news "deeply concerning". He said the days before Christmas are vital trading days and that hundreds of thousands of visitors come to the city at this time of year.

This is not the first round. The RMT struck in April and June as well, even though TfL said the plans were voluntary and Aslef, the main drivers' union, had fully endorsed them. Most Aslef-represented drivers have welcomed the four-day week. Earlier strikes caused widespread disruption, though trains still ran on most lines.

What's next?

The first strike begins on 26 November. TfL wants the RMT to take its latest offer to members, while the union says it needs firmer guarantees. Until that changes, it is worth checking your route before you travel.