Scores of commuters faced chaos on Monday morning as staff on the London Underground train network staged a five-day strike.
The aggrieved workers shut train stations, forcing people to work from home or use alternative modes of transport.
Thousands queued to try and get on crammed buses, while others reluctantly walked or cycled.
Transport for London (TfL), which manages the Underground, also known as the Tube, warned there would be little or no service between Monday and Thursday as a result of the first major strike in more than two years.
Lauren, 53, a construction sector admin worker, told AFP she was having to walk a couple of kilometres to work in central London instead of catching her usual Tube train.
“It’s a real inconvenience. I’m not sympathetic (to train drivers). They should get back to work,” Lauren said.
The RMT trade union called the strike on the Tube – which carries up to five million passengers a day – as they battle to secure better pay and conditions.
Drivers are striking along with signalling and maintenance workers after having rejected TfL’s proposal for a 3.4 per cent pay rise.
Workers are also demanding a reduction in their hours.
An RMT spokesman said: “We are not going on strike to disrupt small businesses or the public.
“This strike is going ahead because of the intransigent approach of TfL management and their refusal to even consider a small reduction in the working week.”
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