Rail unions strike action 2022/2023/2024

[whole diary]

[bobm]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have announced on their website that the Night Riviera sleeper service is cancelled for the whole week between 20th and 24th June.  However they will run on Sunday 19th into the 20th.

[onthecushions]

Gordon Brown's £5Bn/year pension fund raid at the start of New Labour, when capitalised at 4%, was equivalent to the c£130Bn hole in the pension funds. It would have been better to tax the pensions paid out from the investments' returns rather than reduce the invested capital.

IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) many private pensions pre-2000 were based on 1/60ths over 30 years, often non-contributory. Public sector pensions were based on 1/80ths over 40 years, with 6% employee's contribution, employers paying 12%. As most public sector workers had far less than 40 years service, average pensions were often not large. The gold plating was therefore not very thick, relatively.

The fallacy in the Unions' claim is that inflation will blip, over the next year, falling away after. As an example gas wholesale prices peaked about 550p/therm and have now fallen back to c150p/therm. Once the other markets have settled, similar reductions will follow.

I do sympathise with those many industrious skilled members of the railway industry who have put up with much abuse since privatisation but they will weaken their position and industry by disruption.

OTC

[ChrisB]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have announced on their website that the Night Riviera sleeper service is cancelled for the whole week between 20th and 24th June.  However they will run on Sunday 19th into the 20th.

In todays Observer article, this paragraph about GWR & Glastonbury

Rail strikes spell travel trouble for Glastonbury – and small events fear ‘catastrophe’

.....GWR, the train company serving Castle Cary, the station closest to Glastonbury, has said it hopes to maintain timetabled trains from London Paddington throughout the festival. But it said other parts of its network were likely to be “more affected” by the strike action and that customers “may need to consider alternative ways to travel to a station serving Castle Cary”.....

So it seems available resources may be being concentrated on the PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) - Castle Cary service over other services.

The fallacy in the Unions' claim is that inflation will blip, over the next year, falling away after. As an example gas wholesale prices peaked about 550p/therm and have now fallen back to c150p/therm. Once the other markets have settled, similar reductions will follow.

Totally agree - a one-off bonus for the year to counter this inflationary 'blip' would make a more sensible ask than an 11.1% pay hike that increases wages from here on, regardless of how inflation falls over the next years

[grahame]

So it seems available resources may be being concentrated on the PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) - Castle Cary service over other services.

Standard practice isn't it?  I recall Paddington to Cheltenham Spa services being reduced to a Swindon - Cheltenham Spa shuttle, and the Paddington to Cardiff being culled, leaving an hourly Paddington so Swansea service to pick up displaced passengers in previous "normal" years.

[froome]

What will happen with Bristol to Weymouth services, which also serve Castle Cary? They always have huge demand from Glastonbury users as well, and if Paddington to the West Country services are reduced, there will be additional pressure from other passengers wanting to transfer onto them instead and then change at Castle Cary.

[TaplowGreen]

What will happen with Bristol to Weymouth services, which also serve Castle Cary? They always have huge demand from Glastonbury users as well, and if Paddington to the West Country services are reduced, there will be additional pressure from other passengers wanting to transfer onto them instead and then change at Castle Cary.

I think it's safe to say that any trains that do run within striking distance of Glastonbury will be packed beyond belief and certainly beyond safety.

I wonder if there will be the usual boarding control at Paddington? Will there be any staff available to supervise it? What happens at Reading?

This sort of uncertainty and chaos of course is exactly what the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) are counting on - hence the choice of dates.

For the sake of safety, it may be worth GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) simply saying that people shouldn't count on any trains running to Castle Cary and that they should make other arrangements.

[Timmer]

Glastonbury already has a massive traffic problem during festival week. Without trains running to bring festival goers it would be even worse. I’m sure we will learn this week what GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)’s plans are. They’ve known for a while strikes were coming and would likely affect Glastonbury week.

[TaplowGreen]

Glastonbury already has a massive traffic problem during festival week. Without trains running to bring festival goers it would be even worse. I’m sure we will learn this week what GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)’s plans are. They’ve known for a while strikes were coming and would likely affect Glastonbury week.

That will make interesting reading, especially as (presumably?) much of it will be beyond GWR's control?

If enough of (for example) the signallers strike, could any sort of meaningful service run?

[broadgage]

What will happen with Bristol to Weymouth services, which also serve Castle Cary? They always have huge demand from Glastonbury users as well, and if Paddington to the West Country services are reduced, there will be additional pressure from other passengers wanting to transfer onto them instead and then change at Castle Cary.

I think it's safe to say that any trains that do run within striking distance of Glastonbury will be packed beyond belief and certainly beyond safety.

I wonder if there will be the usual boarding control at Paddington? Will there be any staff available to supervise it? What happens at Reading?

This sort of uncertainty and chaos of course is exactly what the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) are counting on - hence the choice of dates.

For the sake of safety, it may be worth GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) simply saying that people shouldn't count on any trains running to Castle Cary and that they should make other arrangements.

Boarding controls at Paddington or elsewhere is the sort of thing for which non union agency staff COULD be used in future. Not for THIS strike presumably, but in future perhaps.
The work is more like crowd control at say a major sporting fixture, than "railway work"

[IndustryInsider]

I’m fairly sure temporary agency staff are routinely used for such things every year.

[ChrisB]

Interesting figures quoted by the Telegraph via MSN online

Rail workers inundate voluntary redundancy scheme – despite strikes over job cuts

A voluntary redundancy scheme for rail workers has been inundated with more than 5,000 applications, casting doubt over union bosses’ reasons for launching the most aggressive strike action in a generation.

Rail managers invited requests for voluntary redundancy last autumn as part of efforts to reduce the burden on taxpayers caused by the pandemic.

Figures seen by The Telegraph show that train operators received 2,949 applications to quit. A further 2,159 applied for the scheme at Network Rail, the state-backed owner of tracks and stations.

Though the number of voluntary redundancies sought by managers is closely guarded, it is understood that applications outstripped places by roughly two to one at Network Rail.

Meanwhile, train operators confirmed that “we had more people express an interest in the scheme than we were initially able to accept”.

Union chiefs insisted voluntary redundancy programmes had only been offered to management grade personnel at Network Rail.

Nevertheless, the number of applications, released under freedom of information laws, calls into question claims by “militant” trade union chiefs that rail leaders are imposing unwanted job cuts to reduce costs.

The figures also suggest that the organisation leading the dispute - the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers union (RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)) - is now facing an existential crisis as members scramble to quit Britain's rail sector.

Andrew Haines, chief executive of Network Rail said: “We know there is huge latent demand within Network Rail for people to leave and move on - it’s mainly an age profile thing - and it could be unlocked by the trades unions.

“Without flexibility from them, we won't be able to make the savings that will permit us to open a voluntary severance scheme for their members. We hope they'll settle down to some meaningful negotiations that could make any suggestion of compulsory redundancies, null and void.”

Between 40,000 and 50,000 RMT members will walkout on June 21, 23 and 25, disrupting Glastonbury Festival, the Headingley test match, and  those making their way to Armed Forces Day celebrations on June 25.

Strike action by Network Rail signal workers – the first such action in more than three decades – will cripple the train network and bring services to a near-standstill. 

The industrial action will cost the Exchequer £100m in loss fare revenue and deliver an estimated £450m hit to the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) economy.

Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary said this weekend that agency staff may be used to break “Marxist” union strikes - but will not prevent significant disruption later this month.

Strike action on the railways intensified last week as train drivers union Aslef also launched strikes in June and July on Hull Trains, Greater Anglia and the Croydon Tramline.

A third union, the TSSA^» (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association - about), is balloting for a walkout that could cripple the network completely in July as Birmingham prepares to host the Commonwealth Games.

Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, is under orders from the Treasury to reduce the burden of running the railways on taxpayers after more than £16bn was spent keeping services running during the pandemic.

A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: “The industry is looking at several ways of making the railway sustainable for the long term – staffing costs is just one area of this.

“We once again want to urge the unions to come to talks with the rail industry so we can work together to build a better, more modern, passenger-focused, railway.”

A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators: “The rail industry launched a voluntary exit scheme, the first of its kind, last year, in recognition that some colleagues wanted to use the skills and expertise they have built in our industry elsewhere.

“We had more people express an interest in the scheme than we were initially able to accept.”

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "The only voluntary severance programme so far has been among managers and the total job losses among them up to this point has been over 2,500.

“There has been no voluntary severance exercise among RMT members.

“RMT is continuing dialogue with Network Rail on their ideas for cost savings but we remain opposed to job cuts, we will defend our conditions and we want a pay rise."

[GBM]

Whilst having my hair cut this morning, my barber(ess) said one of her clients is a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) driver, and they've accepted a pay rise, so won't be on strike, but.
Trains won't have a conductor/guard or catering body on, just the driver; station dispatch being done by station staff and the driver.
I would have thought that 'down west' trains couldn't leave without a second body on board, and drivers would refuse to take a train out without one?
She also said trains wouldn't be cleaned, but drivers have been asked to sign on earlier and do a basic pick up litter run before commencing their duties. 
I would have thought that too would have been refused?

[IndustryInsider]

Utter nonsense.

[broadgage]

It certainly sounds rather improbable.
Esp the bit about litter picking ! That is easily done by a minimum wage, non union, agency worker rather than by increasing the expensive hours worked by a driver.

One person operation sounds almost as unlikely.

[ChrisB]

Now the TSSA^» (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association - about) is balloting at Network Rail stations in the capital - first action slated for July 25 if positive vote gained. Paddington included - would mean no IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) beyond Reading & probably Slough for stoppers?

From My London, via MSN

Rail workers union TSSA has announced that its members will vote on strike action to take place towards the end of July affecting most major London rail stations including London Bridge, Charing Cross and Euston. On Tuesday (June 14) the union said members would be balloted on action that could see services at London's biggest termini, including Kings Cross, Liverpool Street, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo, severely disrupted all summer.

The dispute is over pay and conditions as the union claims its members working at Network Rail, the public body which looks after railway infrastructure in England, have not had a pay increase for at least two years. It is also calling for a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.

This industrial action, which would see over 6,000 staff across the country walk out, would take place from July 25 at the earliest, exactly one month after larger action by the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers), which will see 50,000 staff walk out over three days across the railway network in England, including a co-ordinated Tube strike on June 21. Should the TSSA members vote to strike, it would mean disruption for rail travel in the capital for the entire summer, as this vote can allow the union to prolong the industrial action if the dispute over pay and conditions is not resolved after the initial strike.

In London, this action would affect nearly all National Rail services because the majority of them start and terminate at the termini stations where staff would walk out. Even if the government's proposed legislation is approved to allow agency staff to replace the staff on the picket lines, disruption would still continue because agency staff would be unable to fill the highly technical roles which are critical to running the railway, such as signalling, operations control and heavy maintenance.

TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes said: "We could be seeing a summer of discontent across our railways if Network Rail don't see sense and come to the table to face the concerns of their staff. Network Rail staff are asking for 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. Fat cat bosses have so far refused these completely reasonable requests, leaving us with no option other than to ballot for industrial action, something which is always a last resort."

The TSSA union is also in dispute with three rail operators which operate in and out of London: Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway, which means strikes could also take place on these services too.

The ballot (vote on whether to strike) opens on June 20 and closes on July 11, with strike action taking place as soon as July 25 if a 'yes' vote wins. Some Network Rail office staff who are TSSA members at Blackfriars, Stratford and Waterloo are also being balloted.