Yet again, Britain’s capital and Europe’s largest metropolis has been brought to a halt by a strike on the London Underground. Tuesday’s stoppage is to be followed by another on Thursday, effectively making it a four-day walk-out, disrupting a city desperately trying to recover from the impact of the pandemic lockdowns.

Some 10,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers’ union (RMT) have joined the industrial action, which shut every Tube line in a dispute about changes to Transport for London’s (TfL) pension scheme.

Under an emergency deal agreed with the Government to fill the funding gap caused by a collapse in passenger numbers, TfL is required to undertake a comprehensive review of the scheme by the end of March.

The strike once more calls into question the leadership and competence of the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who first stood for office in 2016 on a pledge of no fare increases and no strikes.

He cannot be held responsible for the pandemic but has made a series of blunders that have exacerbated the consequences. The fares freeze at a time of buoyant passenger numbers deprived TfL of a great deal of revenue it could have done with when the pandemic hit.

The Mayor’s promise that he would avert any strikes has also unravelled. The easiest way to stave off industrial action is to give in to union demands. The move to driverless trains has been thwarted even though the technology exists. Mr Khan won a second term as mayor last year which means Londoners are stuck with him for another three years. It won’t be a happy time.