Rail workers at 14 train companies are to strike next month in the ongoing dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions. The RMT rail union announced further industrial action on the railways in November.
Workers will stage the walkout on November 3 and 5, coinciding with separate walkouts at Network Rail on November 3, 5 and 7 - and London Underground and Overground on November 3.
The strikes will cause widespread disruption to services across the country after a summer of strikes in the deadlocked row. However, the union said that despite repeated negotiations, the Rail Delivery Group has failed to make an offer.
General Secretary Mick Lynch said: "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 and 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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