MEMBERS of the biggest rail workers' union are to stage fresh strikes in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said 20,000 of its members in 14 train operators would walk out on August 26 and September 2.
While ScotRail services will not be affected by the strike, as pay negotiations have been settled in Scotland, cross-Border services on the likes of LNER, Avanti, CrossCountry and TransPennine Express will be disrupted.
The union said it had been left with “little choice” but to take further action, primarily affecting English services, as it had seen no improved or revised offer from the Rail Delivery Group.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch (above) said: “The mood among our members remains solid and determined in our national dispute over pay, job security and working conditions.
“We have had to call further strike action as we have received no improved or revised offer from the Rail Delivery Group.
“The reason for this is the Government has not allowed them a fresh mandate on which discussions could be held.
“Our members and our union will continue fighting until we can reach a negotiated and just settlement.”
The 14 train operating companies affected by the new strikes are: Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry 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: “With further strike action the RMT are once again targeting customers looking to enjoy various sporting events, festivals and the end of the summer holidays, disrupting their plans and forcing more cars onto the road.
“We have now made three offers, the latest of which would have given staff pay rises of up to 13% as well as job security guarantees, and the RMT executive have blocked this without a convincing explanation.
“We remain open to talks and we have said repeatedly that we want to give our people a pay rise, but until the union leadership and executive is united in what it wants and engages in good faith with the 30% shortfall in revenue the industry is continuing to grapple with post-Covid, it is difficult to move forward.
“Unfortunately, the repercussion of this impasse affects our staff, customers and the communities across the country that rely on the railway.”
