Railway workers are set for the biggest train strike in decades next week, which could be followed by further walk outs this summer.
Employees who work for 13 train operators and Network Rail staff who are members of the RMT union are due to strike over three days late June. The union says the strike will be the biggest on the network since 1989. Passengers are being advised not to travel on the strike dates. Northern Rail is going as far as to ask passengers not to travel at all on the week of the strike, even on the days when staff are not on picket lines.
Train and railway staff who are members of another union, TSSA, are voting on whether to push ahead with two further strikes. One affects train and station staff working for three rail operators, including CrossCountry. Another is for Network Rail staff working across Britain.
Read more: Agency workers could be allowed to fill in for striking railway staff under proposed law change
The disputes are about pay, jobs, conditions and job security. Talks are ongoing.
RMT national rail strike June 21, 23 and 25, 2022
The RMT strike in late June is the next walk out due to hit the rail network. The union confirmed that staff working for 13 rail operators and Network Rail will down tools on Tuesday June 21, Thursday June 23 and Saturday June 25.
The RMT has asked for a meeting with the Transport Secretary to hold talks. If the strike does go ahead, it will be the biggest on the railway network since 1989, the RMT says. Operators are urging passengers not to travel on the strike dates. Some are even asking passengers not to travel on the dates on either side of the strikes, due to knock-on effects.
As well as Network Rail staff, employees working for the following operators are due to strike on June 21, 23 and 25:
- Chiltern Railways
- Cross Country Trains
- Greater Anglia
- LNER
- East Midlands Railway
- c2c
- Great Western Railway
- Northern Trains
- Southeastern
- South Western Railway
- Transpennine Express
- Avanti West Coast
- West Midlands Trains
You can read a list of affected stations here.
TSSA strikes (CrossCountry, East Midlands and West Midlands) - July or August 2022
There are two separate strikes planned by the TSSA union. The first, if it goes ahead, will affect CrossCountry, East Midlands and West Midlands trains. CrossCountry operates some trains through Darlington, Durham, Chester-le-Street, Newcastle, Morpeth, Alnmouth and Berwick.
The union is voting now on taking industrial action. The vote closes on July 7. As unions have to give two weeks' notice before a strike, the earliest they could walk out is July 21. It is likely any action will target the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, which takes place between Thursday July 28 and Monday August 8.
TSSA Network Rail strike - July or August 2022
As well as members working for train operators, TSSA is balloting staff who work for Network Rail about strike action.
TSSA members at Network Rail work in operational, control, management and safety-critical roles on rail services across Britain. The ballot closes on July 11, so a strike, if voted for, could take place as early as July 25.
ASLEF strike Hull Trains, Greater Anglia, Croydon Tramlink- June and July 2022
ASLEF members on Hull Trains, Greater Anglia and the Croydon Tramlink will stage a series of walkouts between June 23 and July 14.
Drivers at Greater Anglia will strike between 00:01 and 23:59 Thursday June 23. Drivers at Hull Trains will strike between 00:01 and 23:59 on Sunday June 26. Tram drivers in south London will strike for a fair pay deal from 00:01 on Tuesday June 28 until 23:59 on Wednesday June 29 and from 00:01 on Wednesday July 13 until 23:59 on Thursday July 14.
London Underground strike - June 21
The RMT and Unite are also striking on London Underground on June 21 in a row over jobs and pay. It coincides with the RMT's national strike on June 21, but is a separate dispute.
Will Tyne Wear Metro staff go on strike?
Tyne and Wear Metro staff are not due to strike. However, as Network Rail employees are set to walk out on June 21, 23 and 25, and engineering works are planned over the weekend of the strike week, a section of the track which is shared between Metro and National Rail trains will be closed. You can find out more here.
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