More train strikes are coming next month as UK transport misery deepens
Seven train companies are set to go on strike on August 18 and 20, the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) union has confirmed.
The rail union becomes the latest to walk out in a spiraling dispute over jobs, pay and conditions, which threatens further travel chaos in the coming weeks.
They are the same days as the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union is striking against Network Rail and 14 train operators.
The action will impact Avanti West Coast, c2c, East Midlands Railway, CrossCountry, Great Western Railway, LNER, and Southeastern.
But action that falls short of strikes will also be taken on West Midlands Trains, Northern, Greater Anglia, TransPennine Express and Southeastern.
The TSSA said thousands of its members – including station staff, operational, maintenance, supervisory and management staff – will take part in the industrial action.
Its general secretary, Manuel Cortes, said: ‘This is a momentous day for our members. The Tories’ cost-of-living crisis is the worst in living memory.
‘Essential items like food, energy and clothing costs are going through the roof yet the Government has chosen to pick a political fight with rail workers.
‘Most of our members are going into a third or fourth year of pay freezes, seeing their real take home pay decrease. For many rail workers in our union this is the first time they have been directly involved in an industrial dispute.’
He continued: ‘We do not take strike action lightly, but enough is enough. The Conservative government is the clear block to a deal for rail workers.
‘Transport Secretary Grant Shapps must either personally come to the table or empower train operators to reach a deal on pay, job security and conditions.
Toddler diagnosed with exceptionally rare 'uncombable hair syndrome'‘Instead of wanting to resolve this dispute, we now see proposals for hundreds of ticket office closures and widespread job cuts across our railways.
‘We’ve been warning of a summer of discontent across our railways for months, and sadly it is an ever-closer reality.’
TSSA has held off on serving notice for industrial action against Network Rail, in order to hold 11th hour talks over pay, job security and conditions.
There is still time to serve notice for action on the same days as against other providers – on August 18 and 20 – if those talks are unsuccessful.
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