Hundreds of workers at train operators Great Western Railway (GWR) and West Midlands Trains (WMT) are planning to take part in fresh strikes in the days after Christmas, a rail union has announced.
The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) said around 700 of its members would walk out in an ongoing dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.
The strikes at both GWR and WMT will take place for 24 hours from midday on Wednesday, December 28. In the case of WMT, the strike after Christmas cancels and replaces a previously planned strike on December 17. Action short of a strike will be held until early January at both companies.
TSSA is demanding a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies, no unagreed changes to terms and conditions, and a pay increase which addresses the rising cost of living.
Nadine Rae, TSSA organising director, said: “Our members at West Midlands Trains and Great Western Railway do not want to strike, especially during the Christmas holiday period, but they are sick and tired of being taken for granted. They deserve a pay rise to help manage the escalating cost of living, and they rightly demand job security.
"Train operators under the control of the Department for Transport need to face up to the fact that only serious offers which meet our aspirations will end this dispute. Rail workers are seeking basic fair treatment: not to be sacked from their jobs; a fair pay rise in the face of a cost-of-living crisis; and no race to the bottom on terms and conditions."
Ms Rae said previous strike action by members had been "highly effective" and called on the government to "do the right thing". She added: "Yet more trains [will be] coming to a halt unless rail bosses and the government do the right thing for our members and our precious rail network which so many people rely on.”
The announcement follows months of rail strikes across the country after various railway unions voted for industrial action. The move will see thousands of workers walk out over the festive period and into new year.
This week, prime minister Rishi Sunak reiterated his government was unable to shift its position on pay, implying the only way to end the widespread strikes across the railway and other sectors would be for unions to back down. In comments to his cabinet, he said: “While the government will do all we can to minimise disruption, the only way we can stop it completely is by unions going back around the table and calling off these strikes.”
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