Settling rail dispute would have been cheaper than strikes, admits minister January 18, 2023 Rail minister Huw Merriman has admitted the government has lost more money due to the rail strikes’ impact than it would have if it had settled the dispute with unions months ago. “It’s actually ended up costing more than it would have if [the dispute] had been settled,” the minister told members of the Commons’ [...]
More strikes: RMT follows in Aslef’s footsteps with rail walkouts in February January 17, 2023 Rail union the RMT has followed in Aslef’s footsteps from Tuesday morning and announced two days of strikes in early February. Train drivers working at 14 companies – including Govia Thameslink and C2C – said they will down tools on 1 and 3 February after rejecting an eight per cent pay increase over two years. [...]
London disruption warning after rail track left hanging in mid-air due to ‘huge landslip’ January 15, 2023 Major disruption is expected after a main railway line collapsed in a “huge” landslip which left one track hanging in mid-air. The 44-metre landslip happened on the embankment to the north east of Hook station in Hampshire, on the line from London to Basingstoke. The damage has left only two of the four-track railway passable, [...]
Train operators given ‘revised mandate’ for latest union talks, Mark Harper says January 15, 2023 Train company bosses will be working with a “revised mandate” which could include a better pay offer as they enter the latest round of talks with unions, the transport secretary has suggested. Mark Harper said train operators have been given his “permission” to make a new offer to the trade unions. The minister claimed he [...]
On the right track? Rail boss optimistic but blames RMT for stalled talks after rejecting pay deal January 11, 2023 The RMT recommending its members vote against Network Rail’s improved offer hasn’t helped negotiations progress, the company’s chief negotiator Tim Shoveller told MPs today. Union members walked out between 6pm on Christmas Eve and 6am on 27 December as well as throughout last week after they rejected a 9 per cent pay offer. As part [...]
Rail strikes: Huw Merriman praises ‘constructive’ meeting with unions January 9, 2023 A meeting between the biggest rail workers’ union, train operators and the government, aimed at resolving the bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions, has been described as “constructive”. Leaders of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) met employers and rail minister Huw Merriman following the latest industrial action, which crippled services last week. Merriman said: [...]
RMT accuses train operators of profiteering as rail strikes drag on January 7, 2023 Train companies at the heart of the long-running rail dispute have made hundreds of millions of pounds in profits since the government put them on new contracts when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, a union claims. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said while rail workers have had their pay frozen in the same period, [...]
Government to push through laws which would ban strikes among some public sector workers January 5, 2023 The UK Government is to introduce a set of strike-busting laws as public sector unions continue to ballot members on ongoing industrial action. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced the introduction of a bill in Parliament over the coming weeks, Over recent months, strikes – especially those on the railway [...]
Rail strikes push people to buy cars as disruption hits millions January 4, 2023 More drivers are looking to own a car as the ongoing rail strikes cause misery for millions of people, according to new data. Data published today by automotive marketplace Auto Trader shows that the percentage of people choosing to buy a car due to the unreliability of the public transport system has jumped from 36 [...]
RMT to resume rail strikes talks with government on Monday January 4, 2023 The RMT will resume talks over ongoing rail strikes with the government this Monday, according to union boss Mick Lynch. Lynch told GB News that government officials contacted the RMT earlier this week to “get a meeting in” early next week. The announcement comes as over 40,000 workers at Network Rail and 14 other train [...]