A third day of train strikes has been confirmed for October, continuing a wave of industrial action across the nation.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) have announced that more than 40,000 workers from Network Rail and 15 train operators will strike on 8 October. The union said it would be "effectively shutting down the railway network".
There are also strikes planned for 1 and 5 October, with members of Aslef union set to walk out on those dates. Both unions had planned strikes during September, but these were cancelled as a mark of respect for the death of Queen Elizabeth.
The strikes are part of a long-running dispute over pay, jobs, and working conditions. The RMT union held the biggest rail strike in over 30 years over three days in June, and their general secretary Mick Lynch has said the union have had meetings with Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the current Transport Secretary.
He said it was encouraging that the meeting had taken place, and added: “We welcome this more positive approach from the government to engage with us as a first step to finding a suitable settlement.
“However, as no new offer has been tabled, our members have no choice but to continue this strike action. We will continue to negotiate in good faith, but the employers and government need to understand our industrial campaign will continue for as long as it takes."
The strike will impact 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 (including Gatwick Express).
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