Over 4,000 North Sea oil rig jobs cut to halt spread of Covid-19 March 27, 2020 The North Sea’s workforce has plummeted 40 per cent over the last fortnight as oil companies seek to limit the spread of Covid-19. Over 4,000 jobs have been cut according to Oil and Gas UK, among growing concerns that oil rigs could become hotbeds of coronavirus infection. The number of North Sea workers usually stands [...]
One-third of Tube staff off sick as Underground trains still packed March 25, 2020 Mayor Sadiq Khan has urged more Londoners to stay at home today amid the coronavirus lockdown as he repeated his call for the government to ban construction work in the capital. Khan warned London’s Tube and bus transport network is approaching breaking point, with almost a third of Transport for London (TfL) workers off sick [...]
Coronavirus: Government goes to war with City Hall over London Tube restrictions March 24, 2020 The government and City Hall are at war over Transport for London’s decision to restrict the Tube’s services, which has forced remaining commuters to cram into available carriages. Last week, TfL shut 40 stations and reduced the usual weekday service with some lines only running a train every 10 minutes. The Waterloo & City shuttle [...]
Coronavirus: Government temporarily suspends rail franchise agreements March 23, 2020 The Department of Transport is taking emergency measures to help the rail network survive a 70 per cent drop in passenger numbers as coronavirus prevents travel across the UK. Rail franchise agreements have been suspended temporarily to avoid collapse, and the government will instead pay train companies a small fee to keep operating some services. [...]
Railway industry in talks with government over emergency coronavirus measures March 15, 2020 The government is in talks with the rail industry over a range of steps to protect franchises against falling passenger numbers due to the coronavirus outbreak. According to the BBC, at a meeting of industry figures last week it was revealed that numbers had fallen by up to 18 per cent on certain lines, although [...]
RMT suspends next week’s South Western Railway strike action March 3, 2020 Rail workers union RMT has suspended strike action on South Western Railway that was due for next week to allow talks to take place this Friday. The action was due to take place between for 24 hours on 9 March from 10am and the same period on 12 March. Guards and drivers on the service [...]
London Underground workers to be balloted on tube strikes in pay row February 28, 2020 London Underground’s thousands of workers are to be balloted on tube strikes as the long-running dispute over pay continues. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has said it will ballot the 10,000 staff across the underground after more than a year of negotiating yielded no results. The union said London Underground had failed to [...]
RMT calls on government to avoid ‘reanimating the corpse’ of rail franchising February 26, 2020 Rail union RMT has called on the government to commit to a full renationalisation of the UK’s railways ahead of the imminent Williams review into the franchising system. Although the review is expected to lead to an “overhaul” of the current system, RMT says that the concession model that is widely touted as the government’s [...]
Tube strike talks break down over Bakerloo walkout February 19, 2020 The Bakerloo line will grind to a halt on Friday as last minute talks between the rail union and Transport for London (TfL) to avoid a Tube strike have broken down. The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) confirmed this morning that its drivers would strike over the weekend despite “intensive efforts” [...]
South Western Railway to compensate passengers hit by December’s strikes February 18, 2020 South Western Railway (SWR) has announced it will compensate passengers affected by December’s RMT union strikes for the cost of five days’ travel. The embattled rail franchise said that although it had carried roughly 80 per cent of its normal passenger burden for that time of the year, it had decided to offer additional compensation [...]