Rail unions are staging a series of train strikes that will impact the Conservative Party Conference this week.
Members of the Railway, Maritime and Transport Workers’ Union (RMT) staged a strike on Saturday October 1st and further action is planned for October 8th.
Aslef, who is deputizing for train drivers, will strike again at 12 railway companies on October 5.
Rail chiefs have also been told that “actions close to a strike” – such as a ban on overtime or working outside contractual hours – are planned by the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) for October 5, industry sources said.
Union leaders had called off a truce with company bosses after calling off industrial action during the period of national mourning following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
On which days do the rail strikes take place?
Which railway operators are affected?
RMT members go on:
- Chiltern Railway
- intercity trains
- Greater Anglia
- LNER
- East Midlands Railway
- c2c
- Great Western Railway
- Hull trains
- Northern Trains
- southeast
- southwest
- RailwayTranspennine Express
- Avanti West Coast
- West Midlands trains
- GTR (including Gatwick Express and Network Rail)
Aslef members in 12 companies will go on strike. They are:
- Avanti West Coast
- Chiltern Railway
- cross country
- Greater Anglia
- Great Western Railway
- Hull trains
- LNER
- London uplands
- Northern Trains
- southeast
- TransPennine Express
- West Midlands trains
Network Rail workers will also go on strike on October 8th.
TSSA is yet to confirm its strike action and which services will be affected.
What are workers striking for?
Aslef members leave one after the other only because of the wages.
Secretary-General Mick Whelan said: “They are telling train drivers to take a real cut in terms. With inflation now at 12.3 percent – and reportedly set to continue rising – these companies say drivers should be willing to work just as hard and for just as long, but for significantly less.”
With RMT and TSSA, the situation is different. There is a dispute over wages and plans for major reform of labor practices.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “Transport workers are joining a wave of strikes on October 1, sending a clear message to government and employers that working people will not accept continued attacks on wages and working conditions at a time when big companies benefiting from it are at an all-time high.
“The summer of solidarity we have seen will continue into the autumn and winter as employers and the government continue to deny workers reasonable demands.
“We want a resolution to these disputes where our members and their families can reach a clear consensus. And we will not rest until we have a satisfactory result.”
Will there be more subway strikes in 2022?
More disruptions to London Underground are likely as a wage dispute between Transport for London (TfL) and union RMT continues.
The RMT warned on August 31 that there could be more subway strikes as it complained that workers’ wages and pensions were at risk in a funding deal with the government that would keep TfL running until 2024 should secure.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “This agreement, negotiated in secret by TfL and Government Ministers, is likely to result in attacks on our members’ pensions and further wage restraint linked to driverless trains in the future.
“The Grant Shapps attack on tube workers would be unacceptable at any time, but in an escalating cost of living crisis it is shameful and will be opposed by further strike action.
“TfL must stand up to Grant Shapps and demand a deal that serves all the people of London and addresses the real concerns of the London transport workers who keep the capital running.”
Can I get a refund or travel on another train if my train is cancelled?
Depending on which rail company someone is traveling with, the procedure differs, according to the consumer organization which?, and customers can “only claim compensation for a delay based on the replacement or emergency timetable for train or replacement bus service in the event of a rail strike”.
What is the federal government doing about it?
Talks between union leaders on the one hand and rail companies and Network Rail ground to a halt during the period of national mourning.
The government has already threatened new minimum service requirements that would require a certain number of trains to run during a strike. However, ministers have warned that drafting the new laws could take months.
Eleven unions have taken legal action to have the plans reviewed by the courts.
Grant Shapps, the former transport secretary, has previously condemned the strikes.
“With a salary approaching £60,000 it’s not fair for train drivers to hurt those on lower wages with more strikes,” he wrote on Twitter.
#Train #strikes #dates #strikes #October #lines #affected
