Train strike: Another disruption after railway workers started 48-hour action

Commuters face even more hardship this morning as rail workers have begun their next strike over the festive season.

More than 40,000 Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) members are heading out today and tomorrow, which may also impact celebrations, which take place over the last full weekend before Christmas.

Network Rail has urged passengers to only travel “if necessary” over the next 48 hours.

The London Underground will still be running for the next two days but there is likely to be chaos on the streets as there are also National Highways and bus strikes.

Bus drivers in south and west London who are affiliated with the Unite union and work for operator Abellio are currently at an impasse over pay.

Areas affected include Battersea, Beddington, Hayes, Southall, Twickenham and Walworth. It is the last bus strike of this year.

And National Highways traffic officers in the Public and Commercial Services Union, who work in North West England, North East England and Yorkshire and the Humber, are also on strike for the next 48 hours.

National Highways There are “well-rehearsed resilience plans” in place, and no roads are expected to be closed.

Up to 25 workers per region are taking part and it is expected that mainly signal programming and CCTV surveillance will be affected.

And the chaos is far from over, with more strikes planned in December and January.

The next industrial action will take place from Christmas Eve (January 26) at 6 p.m. to December 27 at 6 a.m.

There are then two more 48-hour strikes, on January 3rd and 4th and on January 6th and 7th.

RMT boss Mick Lynch announced earlier this month that he had turned down Rail Delivery Group’s offer of a 4% pay rise for 2022 and 2023 “because it doesn’t meet any of our criteria for an agreement on long-term job security and decent pay rises and.” protection of working conditions”.

In an open letter he has now asked for a meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak: “It is now clear to my union and the general public that No. 10 is leading the mandate for the railway companies and has torpedoed the talks.”

Mr. Lynch commended the participants, adding: “I congratulate the RMT members who have shown tremendous dignity and rock-solid steadfastness during this 48-hour strike.

“They have shown how important their work is for the functioning of the economy and society as a whole.

“All they want is a negotiated solution about job security, a decent pay rise and good working conditions.”

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