Rail and postal strikes call off after tragic death of the Queen as Britain enters period of mourning

RAIL and postal strikes due to take place over the coming days and weeks have been called off following the death of The Queen.

Multiple unions across both sectors say they have canned strike action to pay respect to Her Majesty who passed away “peacefully” at Balmoral on Thursday.

Reuters

Strikes have been canned as the nation enters 12 days of mourning following the death of The Queen[/caption]

Getty

The Queen died on Thursday at the age of 96[/caption]

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union were due to walk out on September 15 and 17 following a dispute over pay and conditions.

But its general secretary Mick Lynch said these were suspended as his union “joins the whole nation in paying its respects to Queen Elizabeth”.

“We express our deepest condolences to her family, friends and the country”, he added.

Meanwhile, members of the Communication Workers Union, which represent staff at Royal Mail, were due to continue a 48-hour walkout on Friday in a dispute over pay and conditions.

But this has also been called off out of respect for Her Majesty’s service to the country and her family, General secretary Dave Ward said.

The train drivers union Aslef has also suspended a planned strike on September 15.

And the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) also joined a chorus of unions saying they will also not walk called on September 26.

The Rail Delivery Group said train timetables would be back to normal now that strikes were not going ahead.

“The whole railway family is united in sending our condolences to the Royal Family,” a spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group added.

In a sombre statement, Buckingham Palace confirmed Her Majesty Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history, had passed away on Thursday.

Buckingham Palace announced in a statement yesterday: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

“The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

The strikes honour 12 days of mourning that Britain will now enter into as the nation comes together to pay homage to The Queen.

It is unclear when strike action will recommence.