Tube workers slam RMT union for poor communication over the Night Tube strikes September 2, 2015 Tube workers have slammed their own union for poor communication over the Night Tube strikes. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union suspended strikes due to be held on 8 and 10 September, which tube workers discovered via rumour and the BBC. The walkout was over pay and work conditions on the all-night Tube service, due [...]
It’s not just the TfL Tube strike: First Great Western 24 hour rail strike begins August 23, 2015 It's not just the London Underground that has endured stoppages due to strike action. Train services across Britain face disruption today, after workers from First Great Western walked out for 24 hours from midnight. First Great Western runs services between London Paddington, south Wales, the Cotswolds, the Thames Valley region and the West of England. [...]
Forget nationalisation: UK railways need a radical dose of devolution August 12, 2015 It's been a torrid time for Britain’s railways lately. In the last six months – as many a hard-pressed City A.M. commuter will know – there have been bad tempered strikes on the Tube and commuter railways. Channel Tunnel trains have had to run the gauntlet of tyre-burning port workers in Calais as well as [...]
Thameslink Railway under fire after catering staff sacked with just four days’ notice July 22, 2015 Thameslink Railway has come under fire for cancelling a catering contract as it takes on the Southern franchise, resulting in up to 70 job losses. The contract, with Rail Gourmet, is being axed on Saturday ahead of the transfer of Southern's rail franchise over to Thameslink on Monday morning (27 July). Thameslink is thought [...]
How the Northern Powerhouse could boost SMEs – Investec Comment November 8, 2015 Critics of the chancellor's ambition to create a Northern Powerhouse often dismiss the idea as a gimmick. The challenge of rebalancing the UK economy is certainly immense. A recent report by the Centre of Cities showed that gross value added per worker in 2013 in the areas covered by the Northern Powerhouse was 13 per [...]
RMT union finally reveals Night Tube dispute was down to pay rises, telling TfL “where’s our pay increase?” September 23, 2015 The same union that insisted its Night Tube strikes were over staff's work-life balance is now making veiled threats over the one thing it insisted it was never about: a pay rise. In fact, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) workers' union is calling for staff to receive a “decent offer” for pay even [...]
London weather: Network Rail imposing speed restrictions as UK heatwave raises chance of buckling tracks June 30, 2015 Network Rail may be suffering from a corporate meltdown, but it turns out the train group is worried about a different kind of overheating as the mercury rises. The UK is expected to see a heatwave this week, with temperatures soaring into the mid-to-high 30s, with the Met Office forecasting a peak tomorrow, when [...]
National rail strike: This is the pay deal that RMT has rejected in favour of striking on June 4-5 and June 9-11 May 29, 2015 Network Rail and RMT bosses are once again entering talks to see if the latest set of strikes, announced yesterday, can be averted. The national rail strike earmarked to start on bank holiday Monday earlier this week was narrowly avoided after a new offer was tabled by Network Rail bosses, in order to give [...]
Londoners endure Tube strike misery July 8, 2015 COMMUTERS battled to get home last night amid scenes of overcrowding at Tube stations and gridlock on the roads as around 20,000 London Underground workers went on strike. The pain is set to continue today, with the Tube only reopening at 9.30pm. Londoners tweeted pictures of growing crowds, such as this crush at Oxford Circus, [...]
TfL Tube strike 2015 is on: Expect travel chaos from 6.30pm today and all day Thursday July 7, 2015 Millions of commuters will face travel misery today after last-ditch efforts to resolve a dispute over London Underground worker’s pay and hours failed to stop strike plans. Transport for London’s (TfL) latest offer was turned down by unions late yesterday, paving the way for industrial action that will stop tube services tonight and all [...]