January tube strikes cancelled – our response
January 8, 2024
The RMT rail union announced late on Sunday (7 January) that the planned tube strikes has been cancelled, averting a week of disruption for hospitality businesses.
The cancellation came as progress was made on a pay deal between RMT, TfL and the Mayor of London.
Kate Nicholls, CEO, UKHospitality
Our Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “Hospitality businesses in the capital will be relieved that the tube strike planned for this week has been suspended.
“January is already one of the quieter trading months of the year for hospitality, so every sale is crucial, and the suspension means workers and customers will be able to get into and around London simply and safely.
Over the last 18 months the industry has already lost more than £4bn in sales due to the effect of ongoing transport disputes and we have long been calling for all parties to come together to reach a resolution.
“It’s positive to see that on this occasion the RMT, TFL and the Mayor’s office have reached a short-term agreement. We still urgently need to see all parties reach a long-term resolution and we will be waiting to hear what the next steps are on that front.”
Prior to the strikes, we had continuously warned of the disruption they would cause to businesses in London. We estimated there would be a £50m loss for the sector.
At the time, Kate said:
“We estimate that the impact to the sector from next week’s tube strike could be up to £50 million.
“And that figure is on top of the lost £4 billion in sales over the past 18 months that hospitality businesses have already had to absorb from ongoing transport strikes.
“January is already one of the quieter trading months of the year for hospitality, where every sale counts, and this disruption will make the start to the year even more challenging.”
