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The Tube’s four million daily users face increasing and continuing disruption from Tuesday because of industrial action by hundreds of engineers who maintain the train fleets across the network.

It means delays getting trains back into service when things go wrong and regular maintenance taking longer.

Engineers begin a work to rule, banning overtime and withdrawing all “goodwill” gestures after last ditch attempts to resolve the dispute failed.

RMT leaders allege “numerous unresolved breaches of agreed machineries and agreements” including those covering Night Tube.

A London Underground (LU) spokesman said: “We urge the RMT leadership to work with us constructively on the issues it has raised rather than threaten unnecessary industrial action.”

The union ordered continuous industrial action rather than a specific timed strike despite receiving a mandate for a walkout.

Tube Strike: 22nd February 2017 7 show all Tube Strike: 22nd February 2017 1/7 Reduces service: a lone train running at Leytonstone Jeremy Selwyn 2/7 Commuters walk to work today along The Thames embankment. The Waterloo and City line was closed Jeremy Selwyn 3/7 Queues of commuters at Leytonstone Jeremy Selwyn 4/7 There was further disruption as the Tube strike coincided with a strike by Southern Rail workers Jeremy Selwyn 5/7 Passengers queue for replacement bus services at Leytonstone Jeremy Selwyn 6/7 A large queue of commuters waiting for trains at Ilford Station ITV London 7/7 Commuters queue at Ilford Station during the tube strike @MCR_Digital 1/7 Reduces service: a lone train running at Leytonstone Jeremy Selwyn 2/7 Commuters walk to work today along The Thames embankment. The Waterloo and City line was closed Jeremy Selwyn 3/7 Queues of commuters at Leytonstone Jeremy Selwyn 4/7 There was further disruption as the Tube strike coincided with a strike by Southern Rail workers Jeremy Selwyn 5/7 Passengers queue for replacement bus services at Leytonstone Jeremy Selwyn 6/7 A large queue of commuters waiting for trains at Ilford Station ITV London 7/7 Commuters queue at Ilford Station during the tube strike @MCR_Digital

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “The current level of flagrant abuse and ignorance of long-standing policies and procedures by LU is appalling and the anger among RMT Fleet grades members was clearly demonstrated in the ballot results.

“The continued failures by the management side have left us with no option but to begin a campaign of industrial action.

“The RMT’s position could not be clearer and it is down to LU to start taking this list of grievances seriously, to stop trying to impose fundamental changes to agreed policies and working conditions and to halt the bullying and harassment of our reps.”

He said the RMT remains available for “serious talks.”

Industrial action, however, would not be allowed to take place under new laws governing strike action introduced last Wednesday – but the ballot was conducted before this and the new legislation cannot be applied retrospectively.

The ballot closed with a 43 per cent turnout – 323 voting out of 751. Under the new rules 50 per cent of those eligible to vote must do so for any action to go ahead.