Tube passengers are due to find out on Thursday whether more than a week of strike chaos on the London Underground is likely to go ahead.
Union leaders met on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the rolling walkouts, which are due to start on Friday.
The first major impact is not expected to be felt until Sunday, when passengers have been advised by Transport for London to complete their journeys by 5pm.
TfL says the strikes – which have been called by Aslef and the RMT in their battle to win a better pay deal – will continue to have an impact until Wednesday November 13.
There is still the possibility that the strikes could be called off.
However, Finn Brennan, Aslef’s London regional organiser, said there had been “no movement” from TfL in response to its demands for improved conditions for Tube drivers. “the Aslef strikes are still on,” he said.
If there is no breakthrough resulting from the Wednesday union meeting, then TfL will give passengers more details of the disruption it expects from the impending walkouts.
Aslef, which represents 2,000 Tube drivers, has ordered 24-hour walkouts, on Thursday, November 7 and Tuesday, November 12.
Aslef strikes traditionally cause the total shutdown of the Tube, now used for about four million journeys on weekdays.
Talks between TfL and the unions were held last Friday.
The RMT, which represents 10,000 station staff, signallers and some drivers, has told different members to strike on different days between November 1 to November 8, in protest at what it called a “wholly inadequate” pay offer.
TfL expects there to be “severe disruption” across the London Underground on Tuesday November 5 and Wednesday November 6, with any services that do run likely to start later and finish earlier than normal.
On Thursday November 7, the first of the Aslef 24-hour walkouts, no Tube services are expected to run.
The following day, Friday November 8, is expected to have “severe disruption” – including on the Night Tube. Any services that do operate are likely to start later and finish earlier than normal.
On Saturday November 9, the Tube is expected to start later than normal.
Then on Tuesday November 12, the second of the Aslef strikes, severe disruption is forecast – though a total shutdown may be more likely. TfL said that any services that do run are likely to start later and finish earlier than normal.
The strike will not have a direct impact on the Elizabeth line, which carries about 750,000 passengers on weekdays, or the London Overground, which has about 500,000 passengers, though some shared stations could be forced to close.
TfL says the pay offer is worth an average of 4.6 per cent, with drivers receiving an increase of 4.5 per cent – reportedly taking their pay to £69,600.
This is equivalent to the 4.5 per cent increase accepted by Aslef for its train driver members on the national railways.
But the unions say the TfL offer – for the 2024 pay year – is for 3.8 per cent plus a £450 “lump sum” payment, which is designed to provide proportionately more help to the lowest-paid Tube staff.
The RPI rate of inflation for February, which is the basis for Tube pay discussions, was 4.5 per cent.
Last week, London mayor Sadiq Khan told The Standard that he was “confident” the strikes would be called off.
He said he was “hopeful” that the union demands could be negotiated “amicably” with TfL and the strikes could be called off.
But Jared Wood, the RMT’s London regional organiser, said the annual pay talks had been derailed by TfL’s “ridiculous insistence” that the traditional system of collective bargaining, which entitles all staff to the same deal, is replaced with greater pay banding, which could mean different rates for different staff.