London Underground staff will receive a wage rise of 8.4 per cent in April, as the result of a four-year pay deal which was agreed with the unions based on the February RPI each year plus 0.2 per cent. Honouring the agreement will cost Transport for London £100 million, while it continues to negotiate with the government over a permanent funding deal.

A series of short-term settlements have kept Transport for London going since the pandemic caused its fares income to fall drastically, but the latest of these settlements runs out in June.

ASLEF said: ‘We are three years into a four-year deal and the mayor of London is doing the right thing by sticking with a deal, agreed in good faith, by both sides.

‘Tube train drivers who worked throughout the pandemic to keep the capital moving will not suffer a real-term cut in wages as the government fails to get a grip with the cost of living crisis in this country.’

The RMT added: ‘This 4-year deal agreed before the pandemic involved intense negotiations and RMT is simply doing what all unions do, winning the best possible deal for our members.’