Bob Crow, leader of the RMT union, said: “It does Londoners no favours to be told by London Underground that stations will be open, only to turn up and find the gates slammed shut.”
Mr Crow and Manuel Cortes, leader of the TSSA union, accused Mr Johnson of refusing to meet them to discuss the ticket office closures.
But Mr Johnson continued to attack the strike, insisting LU was planning to increase staffing levels through modernising the Tube and getting rid of “antiquated” ticket offices.
“A deal is there to be done. I am more than happy to talk to Bob Crow if he calls off the pointless and unnecessary strike.”
Members of the RMT and TSSA unions walked out at 9pm last night for 48 hours in protest at the closure of all ticket offices, with the loss of 950 jobs.
Services are due to return to normal on Friday but another 48-hour strike is planned from 9pm next Tuesday.
Business groups warned the strikes will cost London’s economy tens of millions of pounds.
Dear Mr Johnson,
My 13 year old daughter and I have tickets to see Taylor Swift in concert at the O2 tomorrow evening (Tuesday 11th Feb). When I bought the tickets several months ago I anticipated snow not a tube strike! It will take us 21 mins to get from Baker Street to North Greenwich but we seem to be stuffed for getting back unless we leave early.
I cannot even find out what time the last tube will leave North Greenwich.
Please do everything in your power to get the strike called off!!
Yours sincerely, Julia Morgan (Solihull)