Transport secretary Trevelyan calls for ‘wage restraint’ in rail October 19, 2022 Rail workers’ wage increases need to be realistic as the Treasury cannot cope with salaries going up according to inflation rates, transport secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said. “Within the rail sector we have to maintain wage restraint because we’ve already spent £16bn just keeping it going,” Trevelyan told the transport select committee earlier today. “So it [...]
Anti-strikes bill becomes law as unions vow to fight it ‘tooth and nail’ July 20, 2023 A law has been passed to curb the effect strikes can have on some key services. The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act has been granted Royal Assent, having cleared both Houses of Parliament after a protracted battle over its impact. The law will allow ministers to impose minimum levels of service during industrial action by [...]
More strikes coming? Rail union RMT rejects ‘dreadful’ new offer from Network Rail and train firms February 10, 2023 The biggest rail workers’ union has rejected the latest offers from Network Rail and the train operating companies aimed at resolving the long-running disputes over pay, jobs and conditions. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said that following a wide-ranging consultation with every level of the union involved in the national rail dispute, its [...]
RMT urged to cancel next week’s walkouts after Network Rail action suspended March 8, 2023 Rail union bosses have been urged to cancel next week’s walkouts at train companies after suspending planned industrial action at Network Rail. The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents operators, called on the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) to “meet us for urgent talks”. The RMT has been engaged in national rail strikes in [...]
Platform staff to walk out on 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 November as union joins rail and tube workers October 24, 2022 Rail platform staff working at Network Rail and other five train operators will walk out on 3,4,5,7, 8 November as the union TSSA has announced another week of industrial action. Disruption will affect services on Network Rail, Avanti West Coast, South Western Railway, West Midlands Trains and c2c. Workers – which are striking as part [...]
Network Rail deems agency workers’ proposal will have ‘limited if no effect’ on strikes short term July 13, 2022 Network Rail has deemed that the government’s proposal to replace striking staff with agency workers will have “limited if no effect in the short term.” “I think we’ve been clear that [changing the legislation] is likely to have limited if no effect in the short-term and it’s likely to have a limited effect in the [...]
RMT suspends week of planned rail strikes in potential breakthrough November 4, 2022 The UK’s largest rail union has suspended a week of planned rail strikes, set to begin tomorrow, in what could be a breakthrough in negotiations. The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) today said it would not go ahead with strikes on 5, 7 and 9 November, but that the “current dispute [...]
Christmas strikes: Government sends in 1,200 troops to replace workers December 18, 2022 Around 1,200 members of the military and 1,000 civil servants are being sent in by the government to cover striking ambulance drivers and Border Force staff. The staff will be deployed to minimise disruption throughout the rest of the month as more key sector workers go on strike. Up to 10,000 ambulance staff will go [...]
Dowden says ‘our door always open’ to striking unions December 18, 2022 A senior minister has insisted that “our door is always open” to union bosses, despite refusing to engage in pay negotiations with striking nurses. Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden said today that “we’re always willing to talk” with the Royal College of Nurses (RCN), but that its 19 per cent pay increase demand is “not [...]
Rishi Sunak warns his cabinet about ‘challenging’ winter of UK strikes December 13, 2022 Rishi Sunak has warned his cabinet that winter will be “challenging” as widespread industrial action ramps up and as the economic downturn deepens. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman today said the “government will do all we can to minimise disruption”, while calling for union bosses to get back to the negotiating table. Today marks the [...]