The RMT union has stated that 40,000 employees from Network Rail and 15 train operators will go on strike on October 8th, bringing Britain to a standstill once again.
The planned walkout will “essentially shut down the railway network,” according to the RMT, as tens of thousands of rail employees will take to the picket lines.
The new date for the third rail strike, now scheduled for October, was decided as part of an ongoing disagreement over wages, working conditions, and working hours.
Chiltern Railways, Cross Country Trains, Greater Anglia, LNER, East Midlands Railway, c2c, Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, Northern Trains, South Eastern, South Western Railway, Transpennine Express, Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Trains, and GTR are among the 15 train operating companies participating in the strike (including Gatwick Express).
Twelve train companies’ Aslef union members have already scheduled rail strikes between October 1 and 5, posing a new danger to passenger transport.
Mick Lynch, leader of the RMT Union, on the picket line at London Euston in August
Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, stated today that it was positive that the new secretary of transport, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, had met with the union.
Which fifteen train operators will strike on October 8?
In addition to Network Rail, the 15 participating train operating firms include:
Midland Railways
Transcontinental Trains
Great Britain
LNER
Railway serving the East Midlands
c2c
Western Railway System
Hull Railways
Northern Railroad
East-Southeast
Southwest Railroad
Transpennine Express,
Modern West Coast
The West Midlands Railway
GTR (including Gatwick Express)
“We welcome this more positive approach from the government to engage with us as a starting step toward reaching a satisfactory resolution,” he said.
“However, since no fresh offer has been presented, our people have no choice but to continue the strike.”
“We will continue to negotiate in good faith, but businesses and the government must realize that our industrial campaign will continue for as long as necessary.”
A representative for Network Rail stated, “We have received notice of another strike by the RMT on Saturday, October 8, exactly one week after another strike it coordinated with train drivers at Aslef.”
Due to the limited service, we are requesting that customers only travel if it is absolutely necessary.
Complete schedules for all upcoming strike days will be released in due time.
Members of the RMT employed by train companies and Network Rail, as well as train drivers in Aslef, will go on strike on October 1 in a protracted dispute over pay, jobs, and working conditions.
The staged walkouts occur during a weekend with a number of Premier League matches, including Manchester City vs. Southampton, Bournemouth vs. Leicester City, and Chelsea vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The strike is another another blow to rail travellers, who were already preparing for additional travel misery next month as a result of the decision by the Aslef union to strike on October 1 and 5.
Between October 2 and 5, travel to and from the Conservative party convention in Birmingham will be impacted by staggered walkouts.
Runners hoping to attend the London Marathon on October 2 will also be affected by the strikes, since routes into and around the city will be disrupted.
In a separate dispute over compensation, RMT members employed by contractors that clean Avanti West Coast trains will go on strike for 24 hours on Friday.
As a token of respect following the passing of the Queen, drivers’ scheduled strike on September 15 and 17 was canceled.
Mr. Lynch, general secretary of the RMT Union, stated that the strike of train employees during the formal mourning period has been “suspended” as the union joins “the entire nation in paying respects.”
He said, “We offer our most sincere condolences to her family, friends, and the nation.”
Thousands of workers in the rail, telecoms, legal, and postal industries went on strike over pay and working conditions during the summer.
In a dispute over Legal Aid payments, criminal barristers have initiated an indefinite strike, and postal workers have also gone on strike, with another 48-hour walkout planned for later this month.