This month, further strikes by rail employees are planned as part of the ongoing conflict over compensation, employment, and working conditions.
On September 15 and 17, the Rail, Maritime, and Transport union (RMT) declared that it will go on strike.
As part of the strike action, more than 40,000 RMT members from Network Rail and 14 train operating firms would be absent from work.
The strikes, according to union leaders, “essentially shut down the train network.”
It follows the announcement by the TSSA union that members at nine railway companies would strike for 24 hours on September 26 beginning at noon.
The union ASLEF said on Wednesday that train drivers from 12 rail companies would strike on September 15.
Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the RMT, declared: “Our members can do nothing except continue this strike action.”
What strikes are scheduled for September?
As employees throughout the UK join the increasing fight for wage raises to meet skyrocketing inflation in the face of the cost-of-living crisis, strikes or ballots for industrial action are announced almost every day.
Amid deteriorating labour relations and charges from union leaders that the Government is doing little to nothing to assist employees who are struggling to pay growing expenditures, unions have dubbed it a “summer of solidarity.”
Here are a some of the impending strikes and possible conflicts that might last into the fall:
Barristers in England and Wales begin a permanent strike on September 5 in protest at government-imposed costs for legal aid employment.
Royal Mail employees who are members of the Communication Workers union go on strike once again on September 8 and 9.
On September 11, the NHS members of Unite in England may vote to strike.
15 September:
According to their union Aslef, train drivers from 12 rail firms will walk out in the salary issue.
On September 15, members of the Royal College of Nursing may vote to strike.
On September 16, the Welsh NHS members of Unite may vote to strike.
On September 26, Public and Commercial Service union members nationwide may vote to strike in protest of wages, pensions, employment, and redundancy policies.
In a long-running dispute about salary, employment, and working conditions, members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association go on a 24-hour strike on September 26 at a number of train businesses.
In order for us to be able to reach a negotiated settlement, “Network Rail and the train operating firms have shown little interest in providing our members anything fresh over the previous several weeks.
Grant Shapps keeps hiding out in his bunker and prevents the train industry from striking a deal with us, continuing his dereliction of duty.
The employers and the government must realise that although we will continue to negotiate in good faith, our industrial campaign will last whatever long it takes.
There has been no progress or fresh proposals from Network Rail or the train operating firms in the continuing national rail dispute negotiations between the union and the rail sector.
The train drivers’ union, Aslef, said earlier this week that its members will take to the streets on September 15 at 12 railway operating firms in a salary dispute that has already led to two prior days of industrial action over the last five weeks.
All of the following train companies will be impacted: Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, LNER, London Overground, Northern, Southeastern, TransPennine Express, and West Midlands Trains.
Additionally, from noon on Monday, September 26 to noon on Tuesday, September 27, employees of Network Rail and nine train operating firms who are members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) will also go on strike.
Avanti West Coast, c2c, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, LNER, Southeastern, TransPennine Express, and West Midlands Trains are the operating firms that will be impacted by the TSSA action.
The Liverpool Labour Party conference and the TSSA strike will both take place simultaneously.
As a Labour-affiliated union, the TSSA stated it would seek support from delegates and MPs to join them on picket lines. Sir Keir Starmer, however, stressed today that he would be concentrating on establishing the next government and would not be joining the striking employees.
The TSSA said that it is still in discussions with Network Rail about the potential of a settlement to avoid industrial action, but it is pleading on Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, to step in to break the impasse.
It comes after Aslef, the TSSA, and the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) staged seven previous rail strikes in recent months that disrupted commuters and those travelling around the UK for events and summer vacations.
Manuel Cortes, the TSSA’s head, recently sent letters to Mr. Shapps and the executives of railway firms under the control of the Department of Transportation.
He requests that the Government provide operators the opportunity to “return to the bargaining table with a new arrangement that improves on the disrespectful 2% offer that was rejected earlier in the summer.”
Mr. Cortes said yesterday: “Train operating businesses are regrettably prevented from presenting an updated, significant offer due to Grant Shapps’ dead hand.
Frankly, he either negotiates with our union across from the table or moves out of the way so that railroad executives may freely bargain with us, as they have in the past.
Passengers are paying a significant price for Shapps’ incapacity and stubbornness, which is directly to blame for the present standoff.
“I appreciate that conversations with Network Rail are still going on and that the distance to a solution is becoming closer.”
If an agreement can be reached to prevent our next attack, only time will tell.
“I will be manning our picket line in Liverpool, and I will be urging other delegates and Labour MPs to do the same, so they can justly demonstrate that they stand shoulder to shoulder with people opposing the Tories’ cost-of-living crisis.”
Yesterday, Labour leader Sir Keir once again disclaimed any intention of joining picketing employees.
He said to Jeremy Vine of Channel 5: “I absolutely understand why people are opting to go on strike when it comes to industrial action.
I can see how hard it is for them since earnings have been stagnating for at least ten years and prices are rising as a result of the cost-of-living problem.
When questioned about joining TSSA employees on the picket line, he said, “No. I want to lead a Labour administration and serve as its prime minister.
It is not appropriate to discuss problems at the Cabinet table and then go to a picket line since the two activities are not related.
Aslef’s general secretary Mick Whelan said, “We regret that, once again, travellers will be inconvenienced,” as his union announced the planned strikes today.
Although it is a basic human right, going on strike is usually a last choice for a trade union, yet the railway corporations have forced us to.
They expect train drivers to work exactly as hard this year as last year for 10% less money in actual terms.
Because the railway companies have made us no offers despite the fact that inflation is currently in the double digits and predicted to rise much more.