Autumn Budget 2017: Chancellor Philip Hammond’s speech in full November 22, 2017 You can read the chancellor's Budget speech in full here: Mr Deputy Speaker I report today on an economy that continues to grow, continues to create more jobs than ever before and continues to confound those who seek to talk it down. An economy set on a path to a new relationship with our European [...]
No more misery? Southern rail deal announced between the train operator and union Aslef February 2, 2017 A deal has been agreed in the long-running dispute between Southern rail and train drivers' union Aslef, in the wake of fresh talks. It is expected to bring the row over the so-called driver-only operated trains to a close, subject to a referendum of Aslef members. The ballot of Aslef drivers on whether to accept the deal [...]
Southern rail’s “full service” pledge hasn’t gone down well with commuters January 24, 2017 Southern rail's commitment to restoring a full service from today isn't quite going to plan. This morning, Southern said there were some alterations to its service, noting cancelled trains were due to a shortage of drivers, while another was cancelled due to a broken down train: Morning! A full timetable is back in operation today. There are some [...]
TfL awards Barclaycard 10-year contract that’ll include the roll out of contactless on the Elizabeth Line February 20, 2017 Barclaycard has retained its contract providing payment solutions to Transport for London (TfL), securing a new 10-year contract that includes the roll-out of contactless for the Elizabeth Line. The awarding of the £380m contract is for seven years with an option of extending for a further three years. Barclaycard will help TfL roll out contactless for [...]
RMT’s Great Western Rail strike will go ahead tomorrow December 22, 2016 A Great Western Railway (GWR) workers' strike will go ahead tomorrow, the RMT union confirmed today. RMT members who are cleaners on the rail network will take industrial action over "serious bullying, claims of discrimination and poverty working conditions" on the GWR train cleaning contract operated by Servest UK. Members have been instructed not to book on for [...]
London Tube strike January 2017: Clapham Junction station evacuated due to overcrowding January 9, 2017 Clapham Junction station has been evacuated this morning due to overcrowding related to today's Tube strike. Southern Rail and SouthWest Trains services are not calling at the station, ⚠ #ClaphamJunction station has been evacuated due to overcrowding. Services are currently not calling — Southern (@SouthernRailUK) January 9, 2017 #ClaphamJunction There are currently NO trains stopping [...]
It’s not just the TfL Tube strike: First Great Western rail workers to strike over August bank holiday August 3, 2015 Rail workers for First Great Western will hold two strikes over the August bank holiday weekend, as part of a growing row over new trains. All RMT members except fleet maintenance grades have been told not to work for 24 hours from one minute past midnight on Sunday 23rd August and again on from [...]
Media union Bectu to merge into engineering counterpart Prospect taking membership to 140,000 December 24, 2016 Entertainment and media workers union Bectu will be swallowed by Prospect, the UK's largest engineer-dedicated union. Prospect numbers will swell to 140,000 following the merger which will go live from 1 January, putting it firmly inside the top 15 largest unions in the country and almost double in size of the likes of the Rail, Maritime and [...]
Brace yourself: You’ll be paying more for your commute in 2017 January 2, 2017 As 2017 gets off to a tentative start, commuters are already having to face a harsh reality of the new year – the annual rise in the cost of commuting. Most people may still be enjoying the bank holiday, but workers returning to work from today onwards will have to dig deeper as train fares rise by [...]
Southern rail tells customers not to travel tomorrow whether or not it manages to block one of the two sets of strike action December 12, 2016 Southern rail has decided to elevate itself to the same level of the great British institution of bad weather and told London's workers not to worry about rail strikes and simply take the day off. While bosses in the City may have been a little more sympathetic to a day of workers being stranded in their houses as [...]