Rail union reissues strike ballots after first vote misses legal threshold July 21, 2022 The union TSSA has reissued ballots for strike action at four train operators after earlier votes didn’t reach the legal threshold for walking out. The ballots will be held at West Midlands Trains, Greater Anglia, Northern and TransPennine Express from 28 July to 25 August. The initial ballots gave the union a mandate for action [...]
FirstGroup US bidder granted deadline extension July 21, 2022 FirstGroup’s US bidder I Squared was given until 18 August to make a firm offer for the transport giant. The company said it allowed the deadline extension as discussions with the US private equity were still ongoing. This was the second extension in a month provided to I Squared after FirstGroup rejected its £1.9bn offer [...]
Motorists warned of disruption as fuel price protesters stage demonstrations July 21, 2022 Fuel price protests are expected to create disruption across the country tomorrow. According to an image posted on the Facebook group ‘Fuel Price Stand Against Tax,’ demonstrations are set to be held nationwide – impacting major urban areas and thousands of people embarking on their summer holidays. Avon and Somerset Police told motorists to expect [...]
Government repeals ‘1970s-style’ restrictions on strikebreakers July 21, 2022 Replacing striking staff with skilled agency workers will now be possible under the legal changes made by the UK Government. Approved by both Commons and Lords, the cross-sector changes will help ensure “crucial public services and people’s lives remain uninterrupted” by the strikes. The measure comes on the heels of a wave of industrial action [...]
Chaos after TfL backtracks on early closure of Central Line due to staff shortages July 21, 2022 Confusion reigned for Londoners this afternoon following TFL’s announcement the Central Line would close early due to staff closures – before uturning on the decision shortly after. Thousands of commuters were concerned as to how they might get home from the City, after an announcement by Transport for London (TFL) the line would shut by [...]
Britons brace themselves for hour-long queues at Dover ahead of school break July 21, 2022 People embarking on their well-deserved summer holidays are currently stuck in hour-long bottlenecks at the port of Dover. Ferry operator P&O told passengers to “allow sufficient time” to clear the queues before checking in. “There are currently major queues at border controls in Dover,” the company said in a tweet. “If you miss your ferry, [...]
Overseas travel down by third as Brits shun holidays abroad for UK getaways July 21, 2022 Britons might be shunning holidays abroad in favour of a UK getaway as overseas travel has gone down by a third. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, visits overseas went down to 5.6 million in April this year – 33 per cent below 2019 levels. Whereas searches for UK destinations went up [...]
Regulators call on airlines to comply with consumer law if they want to avoid enforcement July 21, 2022 The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have warned airlines they could face enforcement action if they fail to comply with consumer law. In a joint letter sent to carriers today, the regulators said they were concerned about consumers experiencing harm “unless airlines meet their obligations” and “minimise flight disruption [...]
Sigh of relief for Londoners as ALL long-running strikes on Night Tube suspended July 21, 2022 Long-running strikes on London’s Night Tube have been suspended. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union have been taking industrial action over weekends in a dispute over shifts. “We are pleased that after our strong industrial campaign, we have made significant progress on the Night Tube dispute,” said RMT’s general secretary Mick Lynch. [...]
Australian bidder walks away from £650m race to snap up rail giant Go-Ahead July 21, 2022 Australia-based Kelsian confirmed this morning it has pulled out from the race to buy Go-Ahead – weeks after the board picked a rival offer. The business said falling share prices in Australia tied its hands and forced the group to walk away from a potential tie-up. Kelsian is one of Australia’s biggest bus and ferry [...]