Thousands of rail workers have spent the weekend doing nothing on full pay after the RMT union called off a series of national strikes at a few hours’ notice.
In the days ahead many rail staff are likely to remain idle, with significant parts of Great Britain deprived of trains despite the industrial action being suspended.
No trains will run in many parts of Britain on Monday, with drastically reduced services on other lines.
Rostering agreements mean that train drivers cannot be called in at short notice.
Yet much of the railway will be fully staffed:
- Many Network Rail signal boxes are staffed even though no trains are scheduled
- Guards are being paid to sit in mess rooms as there are no services to work
- Station ticket offices are staffed even in locations with no trains running
With ticket revenue at a small fraction of normal levels during the expected disruption, taxpayers will pick up the multimillion-pound wage bill.
The union had called out members employed by Network Rail on Saturday 5, Monday 7 and Wednesday 9 November in its long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions.
Staff working for 14 train operators were due to strike on 5 and 9 November.
With cancellations inevitable on the eve of the stoppage and on the days after each strike, the timing was designed to cause maximum disruption across a full week for a minimum loss of pay. The rail industry planned to run one in five trains across about half the network, with management and non-union staff operating a skeleton service.
But on Friday afternoon the strike was suddenly called off, with the union claiming it had secured concessions from the employers.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “The threat of strike action and our strongly supported industrial campaign has made the rail employers see sense.
“We have always wanted to secure a negotiated settlement and that is what we will continue to push for in this next phase of intensive talks.”
On Saturday the union said: “Suspending the strike action means our members are working today.”
But with “strike rosters” already implemented for the seven days between Friday 5 and Thursday 10 November, reinstatement of more than a fraction of trains was impossible.
The RMT union has declined to comment. But on social media the union blamed the employers for the late decision to call off the strike, saying: “The change of stance in negotiations came from the Rail Delivery Group [representing train operators] and Network Rail.
“If that had come about earlier we could have reacted earlier.”
A senior rail industry insider said: “The RMT leadership knew full well the damage they would cause by calling off their strike action at the last moment.
“It gave the industry next to no time to try and reinstate services. Maximum disruption for passengers and financial pain for the taxpayer with no consequence. Trying now to put the blame on others is dishonest.”
Planned cancellations began at 5.30pm on Friday and will continue for most of the week, with large parts of Great Britain seeing no trains on Monday and Wednesday.
Avanti West Coast, which runs trains between London Euston, the West Midlands, northwest England and southern Scotland, continues to urge passengers “to only travel by rail if absolutely necessary” on Monday and Wednesday. Anyone who attempts to travel is warned: “Your entire journey will likely be severely disrupted.”
Dozens of Avanti West Coast trains are cancelled on Thursday morning, including the first six departures from Manchester to London.
One passenger in East Sussex, tweeting as @SuzyfrRye, wrote: “It seems @RMTunion have just managed to get extra 2 or 3 days paid holiday for their members & passengers have been given no thought.”
Another rail insider told The Independent: “This was a desperately cynical ploy on the part of the RMT.
“A big worry is that calling strikes and then cancelling will become a standard union tactic – aimed at causing severe damage to the railway without costing members a bean.”
The RMT reminds the travelling public: “The current dispute remains very much live, and the union is continuing its re-ballot of members to secure a fresh mandate for action with the result due on 15 November.”
