Docklands Light Railway workers to strike on New Year’s Eve in dispute with contractor

Cleaning staff on the Docklands Light Railway will take strike action on New Year’s Eve. This is after the employer made no contact with the union following the previous strike.

Workers employed by Bidvest Noonan are set to mount picket lines from Wednesday 31 December 2025 until Thursday 1 January 2026. This follows earlier action in late November and early December.

The dispute centres on low pay and poor working conditions, including the company’s point-blank refusal to pay company sick pay.

Responsibility for the strike

RMT union general secretary Eddie Dempsey said the responsibility for the disruption lay with the contractor KAD, the company that runs DLR, and ultimately TfL, which manages the light railway contract.

He said:

Bidvest Noonan has made no attempt to engage with us since the last round of strike action and that is disgraceful.

Our members have been clear that they are prepared to take further action to secure fair pay decent conditions and company sick pay.

They will not be intimidated by this appalling and arrogant management attitude.

He added that Bidvest Noonan must return to talks with a serious offer to avoid further strike action.

Featured image via the Canary