Workers at 14 UK rail operators are to strike next month amid a long-running pay, jobs and conditions dispute.
On November third and fifth, Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) members will walk out - causing widespread disruption to services across the country after a summer of strikes in the deadlocked row. While all operators are based in England, several run routes through Scotland which will be impacted.
This industrial action will coincide with strikes on the same days by RMT members on Network Rail, one of Scotland's larger train lines, as well as the London Underground and London Overground.
The union said that despite repeated negotiations, the Rail Delivery Group has failed to make an offer. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Throughout this whole dispute, the Rail Delivery Group has been completely unreasonable by not offering our members any deal on pay, conditions and job security.
“Some of our members on the train operating companies are some of the lowest paid on the railways. This stands in stark contrast to rail operating company bosses making millions of pounds in profit.
“We remain open to meaningful talks, but we are steadfast in our industrial campaign to see a negotiated settlement for all our members in this dispute.”
The 14 train operating companies involved in the fresh strikes are:
- Chiltern Railways
- Cross Country Trains
- Greater Anglia
- LNER
- East Midlands Railway
- c2c
- Great Western Railway
- Northern Trains
- South Eastern,
- South Western Railway
- Transpennine Express
- Avanti West Coast
- West Midlands Trains
- GTR (including Gatwick Express).
A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: “We are frustrated that the RMT leadership has decided to take further strike action. Given their recent call for ‘intense negotiations’ we had hoped they would give our staff and customers a much-needed break from the disruption and lost pay of the last five months.
“Instead of inflicting more unnecessary long-term damage to the industry we all want to see thrive, we ask the RMT to recognise the very real financial challenge the railway faces, and work with us towards a fair deal that both offers a pay rise and includes the long overdue changes we need to make to improve services for our customers.”
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