On Thursday, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) announced two further strikes this summer in addition to the one-day strike it scheduled earlier. The day before, members of the train drivers’ union, Aslef, announced a 24-hour Saturday stoppage for late July.
Both the RMT and Aslef are striking over pay and conditions. Despite talks with employers and the Government, unions are unhappy because they argue wage offers are well below inflation, amounting to a pay cut.
Employers argue that drivers, in particular, are well paid and are pushing for more modernisation on the railways to be tied into pay agreements. That is also proving to be a sticking point in negotiations.
