Last-ditch talks to avert the worst week of strike chaos on the Tube for years have collapsed in failure.
It came as Arsenal warned 60,000 fans due to attend the FA Cup tie with Liverpool, which kicks off at 4.30pm on Sunday, that there would be no Piccadilly line services to get them home.
Transport for London hosted talks with RMT leaders which ended in both sides failing to agree a deal.
An RMT spokesperson said: "TfL has failed to avert this strike by not offering a deal that was acceptable to our members on London Underground.
"We do not take strike action lightly but we are determined to get a negotiated settlement on pay, travel facilities and a grading structure that means our members will not lose out."
This will result in the closure of most - if not all - of the Underground from about 8pm on Sunday.
Thousands of RMT station staff will join the action on Monday and Wednesday, leading TfL to warn of “little or no service” until Friday morning in what is shaping up to be the most disruptive Tube strike in recent years.
Arsenal fans – many thousands of which normally leave via Arsenal station - will have to rely on the Victoria line from Highbury & Islington or Finsbury Park, both of which are likely to be even more overcrowded than normal on a match day.
Travel information ahead of Sunday’s match against Liverpool.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 4, 2024
TfL has prioritised the Victoria line to help visiting Liverpool fans to reach Euston to catch their train home.
In a message to fans, Arsenal said that Tube services serving its Emirates stadium would reduce from 5pm and end by 8pm.
In addition, many Thameslink and Great Northern suburban rail services from King’s Cross and Finsbury Park will not run on Sunday due to planned maintenance.
Arsenal will shut most of the bars in the stadium 15 minutes before the end of the match. Fans “are advised to leave promptly” at the final whistle. There will be a replay not extra time or penalties if the match ends in a draw.
The strike was announced by the RMT just before Christmas after 90 per cent of its London Underground members who took part in a ballot rejected a five per cent “full and final” pay offer for 2023/24 from TfL.
The RMT wanted TfL to agree to hold the talks at conciliation service Acas, and also called for Mayor Sadiq Khan, who chairs the TfL board, to get involved.
Mr Khan wants both sides to reach an agreement so Londoners and businesses don’t suffer from the rolling walkouts by different RMT members, but will be reluctant to intervene personally in the talks.
The 5%pay deal has already been accepted by Tube drivers belonging to Aslef. Less than half of the RMT’s total Tube membership – 4,827 of 9,723 members – voted in favour of strike action.
Early and late Thameslink services to and from Farringdon will be disrupted from Monday to Thursday.
There will be no Southern services at Wembley Central on Monday and Wednesday, and these trains will start later on Tuesday and Thursday.
Glynn Barton, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: “We are disappointed that RMT is planning strike action in response to our offer of a five per cent pay increase.
“We have been clear throughout our productive discussions with our trade unions that this offer is the most we can afford while ensuring that we can operate safely, reliably and sustainably.
“We encourage the RMT to engage with us to avoid disruption for Londoners. We would like to advise anyone travelling during the strike days to check before they travel.”
The RMT has accused TfL of seeking to create a “two-tier workforce” by “refusing” to offer the same travel benefits to all staff. All staff directly employed by TfL get free travel as a perk of the job.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Our members have made it clear that they are prepared to take action and we urge TfL to enter into meaningful conciliatory talks to avert disruption in the capital.”
Mr Khan has come under pressure from the Conservatives to use new “minimum service level” laws to keep at least 40% of Tube services running.
But the mayor has said the new laws are “not fit for purpose” as they fail to guarantee enough staff will be present to meet fire safety rules in stations.
Rob Blackie, the Lib-Dem mayoral candidate, said: “The London economy depends on its world-class transport system but it is being driven into second-class status by petty party politics.
“The capital desperately needs a mayor who is prepared to do the tough job of negotiation and settle these disputes in good time. Instead, Londoners look set to face more misery in the coming weeks.”
Business leaders have warned that rail and Tube strikes, coupled with the 4.9 per cent increase in rail fares from March and expected similar increase in Tube fares, was deterring workers from returning to central London offices.
Ruth Duston, chief executive of the London Heritage Quarter business improvement district, said: “Despite there being a clear appetite for a more regular return to the office from both employers and employees, the impact of these strikes are clearly preventing workers from commuting in.
“It’s important that the RMT, TfL and any other stakeholders find a swift resolution to end these strikes.”
