Transport for London came to a standstill on Friday as train and bus workers staged strikes over wages and conditions, the latest in a summer of labor market wrangling as double-digit inflation hits wages.
Transport for London (TfL) said all London Underground and Overground rail lines were suspended or partially grounded, and dozens of bus lines were disrupted in the city's west.
Tens of thousands of workers pulled out of the UK's national rail network on Thursday and will do so again on Saturday.
Travelers across the country have already suffered from the disruption caused by this year's rail strikes, organized by unions demanding wages and terms for its members that better reflect the rising cost of living caused by energy inflation.
The data showed that the inflation rate reached 10.1% in July, the highest level since February 1982, as rising energy costs resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine affected consumers directly through their home bills, and indirectly through higher food prices.
This has led to a confrontation between companies, who say rising costs and lower demand are limiting room for negotiation, unions who say their workers can't live, and the government, who worries that big wage increases may fuel inflation.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the BBC: "We don't want to be in a vicious circle of the 1970s where you end up with higher salaries, higher inflation and so on. You will never get out of this."
RMT said the underground strike was in response to the lack of assurances about jobs and pensions from TfL. In a letter to Shapps, the union accused him of waging an ideological war against railroad workers.
Transport for London itself is in protracted negotiations with the government after the expiration of the emergency government funding agreement, which was necessitated in part by a drop in passenger numbers after the pandemic.
Workers in other British industries are also planning future strikes or are heading towards an industrial strike. These include port workers, lawyers, teachers, nurses, firefighters, waste collectors, and airport and postal employees.