A six-month series of weekend Tube strikes threaten the recovery of London’s West End.

It is feared that the strikes will deal another blow to one of the UK’s leading shopping and leisure destinations, which has been hit hard by the pandemic as consumers and commuters have often stayed at home, London’s Evening Standard reported.

The planned industrial action means RMT union Underground drivers will stop clocking in from 8.30pm each Friday and Saturday night, until 8am the following morning, until mid-June.

While the dispute is expected to primarily hit the West End’s night-time economy, the weekend disruption will be unwelcome to all businesses in the area as they seek to restore more normal conditions after sustaining a battering at the heights of the pandemic.

Trade body New West End Company chief executive Jace Tyrrell told the Evening Standard: “The proposed six-month strike action threatens the West End’s night-time economy at a critical point when many businesses will be looking to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

“We strongly encourage RMT to call off these strikes in order to give viable hospitality businesses in the capital the best possible chance of survival.”

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