Number 10: Rishi Sunak ‘deeply regrets’ Christmas strikes December 19, 2022 Rishi Sunak “deeply regrets” the strikes disrupting the Christmas period but will not bend on public sector pay demands, Number 10 has said. Sunak’s official spokesman today said it is “still in the gift of the unions to step back and reconsider the approach” as Britain suffers from a series of December strikes. Up to [...]
Explainer: High Court rules agency workers regulations during strikes unlawful July 13, 2023 Companies will be prevented from hiring agency staff to fill in for striking workers, the High Court ruled today in a further blow to Rishi Sunak’s government. From August 10, employers won’t be able to recruit agency workers to fill in for striking employees. The regulations were first introduced last summer, amid a wave of [...]
More misery for retail as footfall slips to lowest level since pandemic on wet weather and strikes March 1, 2024 Unpredictable British weather has yet again been blamed for hurting trade on UK high streets. According to a report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), footfall recorded in February slumped to the lowest since the pandemic, falling 9.3 per cent against a 2.3 per cent decline the prior month. Some 23mm of rain fell across [...]
U-turn: Plans to close hundreds of railway ticket offices scrapped after public backlash October 31, 2023 Proposals to close hundreds of ticket offices in the UK will be scrapped following backlash from watchdogs, unions and the public.
Great British Rail ‘not on track’ and billions in savings at risk, spending watchdog warns March 8, 2024 Government plans for a major reform of Britain's railways are "not on track," with billions in potential savings at risk.
Explainer-in-brief: what difference would agency workers make in the rail strikes? June 20, 2022 The biggest rail strikes in thirty years kick off this week. The government has been unable to conduct successful negotiations with the rail union RMT and is now scrambling to look like it’s doing something. Last week, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps suggested agency workers might be brought in to replace rail staff during the strikes. [...]
Zahawi: Education union strike threat after rail chaos would be ‘unforgivable and unfair’ for students June 23, 2022 The education secretary has accused education trade unions of “failing” children by threatening strikes. Nadhim Zahawi branded threats to walk out of the classroom by the National Education Union “irresponsible” in a piece for the Telegraph this morning. This comes after industrial action from rail workers brought the country to a standstill on Tuesday, with [...]
‘Come take a train journey with me’: Union boss challenges Sunak’s private jet-setting May 11, 2023 TSSA President Marios Alexandrou took aim at Rishi Sunak’s rail policy and private jet-setting this morning, inviting the Prime Minister to “come take a train journey with me” amid continued industrial action. According to Alexandrou, Sunak is “more familiar with the interior of an RAF Chinook than Waterloo in rush hour”. The PM has come [...]
RMT rail union boss Mick Lynch sets out ‘road map’ as services hit by fresh strikes August 26, 2023 The biggest rail workers’ union has suggested a “road map” to a negotiated settlement in the deadlocked dispute over jobs, pay and conditions. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has written to the Rail Delivery Group saying the two sides needed to navigate a way through the row. The move was made as 20,000 [...]
Mick Lynch accuses government of prolonging rail strikes July 22, 2023 The leader of the biggest rail workers union has accused the government of prolonging the national dispute which led to fresh travel misery for passengers on Saturday. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said thousands of its members were solidly supporting the walkout, which disrupted services, with some areas having no trains all day. [...]