Transport thread — ongoing UK strikes

[MenInG]

Workers on the London Underground are staging a 24-hour walkout in a continued row over jobs and pensions.

Members of the RMT union are striking today, along with some of their Overground colleagues, closing large parts of the Tube network for the day.

Most buses across west and southwest London will also not run as a result of industrial action taken by members of Unite.

The action is sandwiched between RMT strikes on Network Rail on Thursday and Saturday, as the deadlock between unions and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps deepens.

SKY

 

[MenInG]

A series of planned strikes by railway workers have been suspended, the RMT union has announced.

Members were due to walk out for 24 hours on Saturday 5, Monday 7 and Wednesday 9 November.

Despite today's walkout being cancelled, Network Rail said the very late notice means that services "cannot be reinstated and will remain extremely limited".

Chief negotiator Tim Shoveller said there will also be "limited ability to change the 'strike timetable' for Monday".

"Our advice remains to please check before you travel and on Saturday and Monday and only travel by rail if absolutely necessary," he said.

The strikes were called over jobs, pay and conditions and first started in June.

RMT officials said that instead of striking, the union will now "enter into a period of intensive negotiations with Network Rail", with the promise of a pay deal from train operators.

SKY

 

[James]

<b>Rail travellers in are facing another day of disruption despite strikes being called off.</b>

ScotRail said a "very limited" timetable would be in operation on Monday ahead of a full service resuming on Tuesday.

People should only travel if they really needed to, the train operator owned by the Scottish government said.

On Friday the RMT union halted industrial action planned for Saturday, Monday and Wednesday.

The union, which represents rail workers, has said it will enter "a period of intensive negotiations" with Network Rail and the rail companies after it received "the promise of an offer".

The strike had been called in a dispute over pay and conditions.

ScotRail said the decision came too late to prevent severe disruption to its services, with just 11 routes remaining open on Saturday.

The firm said later that it had been advised by Network Rail that it would not be able to operate all its routes until Tuesday.

It said it had been working "round the clock" to restore the full timetable since the strike was suspended.

A spokesperson described it as a "complex process which involves rewriting train timetables and rosters for thousands of our staff, and getting trains to where they need to be".

ScotRail said it was working to add more services and routes to Monday's timetable and urged customers to check ahead before travelling.

David Simpson, ScotRail service delivery director, said:  "ScotRail welcomes the announcement that planned strike action on 7 and 9 November by RMT members at Network Rail has been suspended. 

"Strike action does nothing for the railway's recovery or reputation at this fragile time. It impacts customers, staff, and the economy. "

Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: "While it is positive news that the RMT has called off these strikes, the very late notice means that it is not possible to reintroduce a full timetable on Saturday and Monday.

"We are working hard alongside ScotRail and our other operators to reintroduce services as quickly as possible for customers.

"We remain committed to working positively with our trades unions to find a resolution to this dispute."

Meanwhile talks over a separate industrial dispute involving more than 2,000 ScotRail workers are due to resume on Monday.

The RMT has previously threatened to escalate the ScotRail dispute by walking out on the day of Scotland's rugby international against Argentina on 19 November and on every Friday and Saturday after that until Christmas.

ScotRail has previously offered all staff a 5% pay uplift plus add-ons, which it said would represent a 7.4% increase for the lowest-paid staff.

It has urged the union to put that offer to its members, although the RMT has said it would "seriously consider" an 8.2% increase.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63527787

 

[James]

<b>Train strikes: RMT rejects offer aimed at averting festive strikes</b>

The RMT union has rejected an offer from the group representing train companies which sought to stop strikes in the run-up to Christmas.

The latest round of strikes by RMT members at Network Rail and 14 train companies is due to begin in nine days.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said its offer included a pay increase for staff of up to 8% over two years.

But the RMT said it would lead to huge job losses and called for an urgent meeting with bosses on Monday.

In the ongoing row over pay, working conditions and job security for rail workers, industrial action is currently due to take place across four 48-hour periods on 13-14 and 16-17 December, and 3-4 and 6-7 January.

The RDG said the offer it made on Sunday included a package of proposed changes to current working practices.

These included repurposing or closing ticket offices, introducing new multiskilled roles, and Sunday working where it is not in place already.

These would help to fund a pay rise for staff of 4% this year, backdated to the beginning of the financial year, followed by another 4% next year, it said.

The offer also included a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies until April 2024, as well as the use of part-time contracts and flexible working patterns.

The group said this would help bring in a more diverse workforce who could fit in shifts around other commitments.

But the RMT union's general secretary Mick Lynch said the proposals would not be acceptable to its members.

"We have rejected this offer as it does not meet any of our criteria for securing a settlement on long-term job security, a decent pay rise and protecting working conditions," he said.

Mr Lynch added that if the plan was implemented, it would "not only mean the loss of thousands of jobs" because of the closure of ticket offices, for example, but also the use of "unsafe practices" like driver-only operated trains.

He said it would "leave our railways chronically understaffed."

The RDG had called on the union to avoid "upsetting the travel plans of millions and cause real hardship for businesses which depend on Christmas custom".

Earlier on Sunday, it described the offer as "fair and affordable offer in challenging times, providing a significant uplift in salary for staff".

Although its first offer to the RMT was rejected within hours, it said it would still be open to talks.

Along with other rail unions, members of the RMT want pay rises to go up in line with the surging cost of living.

Hospitality bosses have raised concerns, however, that if strikes go ahead in the upcoming weeks, pubs, restaurants and cafes will be severely affected during what is usually the busiest time of the year.

UK Hospitality recently warned that the strike action will cost the sector about £1.5bn in lost sales.

Some 40,000 workers are expected to walk out and there is likely to be disruption in the days around the strikes due to trains not being in the right places.

The rail industry is under pressure to save money after the pandemic left a hole in its finances, and bosses say reforms are needed to modernise the railway and make pay rises affordable.

Other proposals by the RDG to "secure the future of the industry" included a move to drivers also operating the train doors, although guards would be still be on board.

The group said there would be opportunities for redeployment and voluntary redundancy programmes for those rail workers who wished to leave.

The RDG offer is separate to negotiations with Network Rail, which employs about half of the workers in the dispute.

Network Rail, which maintains the railways throughout Britain, also made an offer to the RMT, TSSA and Unite unions on Sunday.

What it describes as its "best and final" offer to staff includes a pay rise of up to 9% over two years and no compulsory redundancies for workers in its general grades and controllers until 31 January 2025.

But it previously said that if strikes are to be called off, it would need to happen by the end of Monday to avoid disruption for passengers.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63853669

 

[James]

<b>December train strikes: Extra train strikes planned over Christmas</b>

Extra rail strikes have been scheduled over the Christmas period, the RMT union says.

Staff at Network Rail, about half the workers involved in a pay dispute, are expected to walk out from 6pm on Christmas Eve until 27 December.

A new offer was made by the company on Sunday but the union is urging members to reject it.

Planned strike action - due to start next week and continue into January - will also go ahead, the union added.

It is part of a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions as the cost of living soars.

As well as the strikes on 24 - 27 December, industrial action at 14 train companies across four 48-hour periods take place on:
13-14 December
16-17 December
3-4 January
6-7 January

Passengers had already been warned to plan their travel well in advance over Christmas, with some 5% of the rail network shut for engineering works - although many trains do not run over Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

The RMT union is putting a new offer from Network Rail to its members in an electronic referendum, which will close in a week's time.

But they are being urged to reject the offer, after its general secretary described the offer as "poor" and said that it had not been improved.

Network Rail had said the latest offer was its "best and final". It includes a 5% pay rise this year and 4% next year, and no compulsory redundancies for workers in its general grades and controllers until 31 January 2025.

It comes shortly after the union rejected another offer from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train operators.

Its talks are separate to negotiations with Network Rail, which maintains the railways throughout Britain and employs signallers and maintenance workers - about half of the workers in the dispute.

The group had proposed a number of changes to working practices which it said would help to fund a pay rise for staff of 4% this year, backdated to the beginning of the financial year, followed by another 4% next year.

These include repurposing or closing ticket offices, with staff having new "multi-skilled" roles and Sunday working where it is not in place already.

Other proposals by the RDG to "secure the future of the industry" included drivers operating the train doors in more areas, although it insists guards would still be on board.

There would also be a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies until April 2024.

Mick Lynch, RMT union general secretary, said they had not received an improved offer from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on Monday, however.

He said that it was "unfortunate that that union had been compelled to take this action".

"We remain available for talks in order to resolve these issues but we will not bow to pressure from the employers and the government to the detriment of our members," he added.

The RMT, along with other rail unions who have also been striking, is seeking pay rises that keep up with the surging cost of living as well as improvements to working conditions.

But pubs, restaurants and cafes have said they are worried that if the rail strikes go ahead in the upcoming weeks they will be severely affected, as Christmas is usually their busiest time of the year.

UK Hospitality recently warned that the strike action will cost the sector about £1.5bn in lost sales.

About 40,000 rail workers are expected to walk out and there is likely to be disruption in the days around the strikes due to trains not being in the right places.

The rail industry is under pressure to save money after the pandemic left a hole in its finances, and bosses say reforms are needed to modernise the railway and make pay rises affordable.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63867226

 

[The_KING]

As someone who uses public transport to work, these strikes are really starting to annoy me.

 

[ex-q-zit]

Rishi Sunak Brings In Army To Keep Key Services Running Amid Workers' Strike

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday hit out at trade unions for causing misery for millions with “particularly cruelly timed” strikes over the Christmas holiday period as the government announced plans to use around 1,200 troops to cover for striking workers to keep key services going.

There is a wave of winter strikes planned over the course of the next few weeks, including railway workers, healthcare workers, and border security staff, who are all demanding better pay and working conditions.

Writing in "The Sun on Sunday", Sunak said the workers have been offered "deals that are fair and affordable" and accused the unions of unleashing a “class war”.

“The unions are causing misery for millions, with transport strikes in particular cruelly timed to hit at Christmas,” writes Sunak.

“Rail workers and border officers have been offered deals that are fair – and affordable to taxpayers. An increasing number of union members want a deal. They are tired of being foot soldiers in [Railway RMT Union chief] Mick Lynch's class war,” he said.

The government has repeatedly warned that giving in to union demands for massive pay rises will kick Britain into an “inflation spiral”, which in turn would hit the poorest the hardest.

"Even [Opposition] Labour have admitted the unions' demands are unaffordable. But they'll still take union money and undermine the interests of the travelling public. Labour back the Grinches that want to steal Christmas for their own political ends. We are doing everything we can to ensure people get the Christmas they deserve,” said Sunak.

"The army is stepping up and we're putting in place other measures to keep services running where possible," he added.

Union chiefs warn the military are not "sufficiently trained" to guard the country's borders or drive ambulances, and that they should not be put in such an "invidious" position when they already have "enough on their plate".

Labour's shadow minister for immigration, Stephen Kinnock, called the Prime Minister's language "incendiary", telling ‘Sky News' that the government is "spoiling for a fight" with the unions.

"I think the government needs to stop all the rhetoric, the empty posturing and sowing the seeds of division and actually now needs to start finding a constructive solution so that we can get people back to work in a way where they feel valued and where they feel that there is a real future for them in those jobs," said Kinnock.

Meanwhile, nurses are threatening to stage a fresh wave of strikes in the new year on an even larger scale if ministers fail to respond with a solution in the 48 hours following next week's walkout.

The 48-hour countdown will begin after the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) stages its second set of historic strikes on Tuesday.

NDTV

 

[MenInG]

Rail passengers across England face disruption on Saturday as 20,000 staff begin a strike over pay and working conditions.

The action comes the same day as events including the Notting Hill Carnival and Reading and Leeds festivals.

Mick Lynch, head of the RMT union, said the strikes would continue until a new settlement for workers was reached.

The Department for Transport said the government had made "fair and reasonable pay offers".

Workers from 14 train operators are taking part in Saturday's strike, which is its 24th since last summer.

The action will see a reduced timetable in place in much of England, with some journeys into Scotland and Wales also affected.

 

[The_KING]

As someone who regularly uses public transport to travel to work, I am sick and tired of these strikes.

You aren't happy with your pay? Find another job.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Major disruption hits Scotland's rail network again with several lines closed and speed restrictions in place. Dozens of flood warnings have also been issued.

An amber danger to life warning for rain is in place across parts of eastern Scotland as torrential rain and flooding continue to affect the region.

The Met Office issued the alert across Angus, Perth and Kinross, Aberdeenshire, Moray and Highland until 2pm.

It means fast flowing or deep floodwater could pose a serious threat, including possible extensive damage to homes and businesses.

Road and rail travel are likely to be disrupted with power outages possible, according to the Met Office.

Source: Sky News