Britons are facing travel misery this summer as a series of Tube and rail strikes threaten to derail holiday plans for millions of people.
Railway bosses and the RMT Union, who are leading the strikes, have been urged to “talk like civilised adults” to prevent travel chaos.
Talks between union chiefs and rail operators have so far failed to make a breakthrough leading to widespread disruption to the network.
But when are the strikes and why are they taking place?
When are the Tube and train strikes?
Around 10,000 London Underground workers walked out of stations on June 21 for 24 hours as part of an ongoing dispute over job losses and pensions.
The same day, more than 50,000 workers from the RMT at Network rail and 13 train operating companies staged a walkout on Britain’s railways in the biggest strike on the network since 1989.
Further strikes on the railways took place on Thursday, June 23 and Saturday, June 25. The RMT confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that Thursday’s walkout would proceed from one minute past midnight, as it accused Transport Secretary Grant Shapps of “wrecking negotiations”.
Members of Aslef on Hull Trains will also strike on June 26, and on Croydon Tramlink on June 28 and 29 and July 13 and 14.
Aslef announced strikes at three companies in separate rows over pay, while the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) has served notice of an industrial action ballot of more than 6,000 National Rail workers.
The union said it had demanded a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies, no unagreed changes to terms and conditions, and a pay increase which reflects the rising cost of living.
The ballot opened on June 23 and closes on July 11, so action could start from July 25.
The TSSA is balloting hundreds of its members in NR, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast, Northern, LNER and C2C in an escalating dispute across the railway.
Which lines and services will be affected?
Tuesday’s Tube strike involved some 10,000 members of the RMT, including station staff, and affected all services.
Below is advice from the TFL website:
Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 June:
- Strikes on national rail services (nationwide) on Thurs 23 and Sat 25 June
- Reduced service on the London Overground and Elizabeth line (where TfL uses national rail assets) as well as parts of the Tube on Thurs 23 and Sat 25 June
- London Overground services will run a reduced service from 07:30 on Thurs 23 and Sat 25 June. Complete your journey by 18:00
- Tuesday 21 to Sunday 26 June, no service between Romford and Upminster due to strike action
- Thursday TFL say: A reduced service on the Elizabeth line between Paddington and Reading / Heathrow Terminals & between Liverpool Street and Shenfield due to industrial action on Network Rail
- Disruption following strikes likely on the Tube, Elizabeth line and London Overground on Friday 24 and Sun 26 June
- On Friday TFL said there are severe delays between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction due to yesterday’s strike action on Network Rail
A similar walkout on the Tube at the start of March brought the Underground to a near-total standstill with more than 200 stations closing.
Meanwhile on Britain’s railways, fewer than one in five trains are likely to run during the strikes, and only between 7am and 7pm, probably only on main lines.
The strike has caused severe disruption for those heading to Glastonbury Festival on June 23 as well as England’s test cricket match against New Zealand in Leeds that same day.
The UK athletics championships in Manchester on June 24-26 and Armed Forces Day in London on June 25 will also be affected.
Southeastern runs train services between London and Kent, and parts of East Sussex.
Are there contingency plans?
Network Rail and the RMT have held talks but there has as yet been no breakthrough.
National Rail has drawn up contingency plans, with the strikes expected to cause disruption to services for six days, from the first walkout on Tuesday, June 21 to the day after the third strike on June 26.
Why are the strikes taking place?
The Tube strike comes as part of an ongoing dispute between Transport for London and the RMT over pensions and job cuts.
The RMT has proposed to close 600 posts on the underground as a cost-saving measure.
The ongoing protests centre on the decision by Transport for London to axe 500 to 600 Tube station posts to save cash and the review of the TfL pension scheme.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said on Monday: “TfL, London Underground Limited (LUL) and the Mayor of London have had ample opportunity to negotiate with the union properly to avert this strike action today.
“Their intransigence and stubbornness have left RMT members no choice but to act decisively.
“We will not rest until we have a just settlement to this dispute and we urge the Mayor to stand up to the Tory government who are cutting funding to TfL rather than try to pick a fight with tube workers.”
Meanwhile, the wider train strike has come about after the RMT claimed that rail firms had not made “concrete proposals” on demands for better pay and job security.
RMT Assistant General Secretary Eddie Dempsey told LBC: “We’ve asked for a substantial pay rise. And we’re basing it on the fact that a lot of our members now are in a third year of a pay freeze.
“We haven’t put a figure on it and a number of losses in terms of jobs that are proposed in the industry are far more than 2,500.”
What have the Government said about the strikes?
Health secretary Sajid Javid told rail bosses and unions to “act like grown ups” and find a settlement.
He told Times Radio: “It would be wrong at every level to have this strike.
“I hope they sit down with the industry, think again, act sensibly, act like grown-ups and understand that not only would a strike be wrong for the travellers, the misery that would cause, but actually I think it would be wrong for the workers in the industry.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the strikes were “incredibly disappointing”.
He said: “The pandemic has changed travel habits with 25 per cent fewer ticket sales and the taxpayer stepping in to keep the railways running at a cost of £16 billion, equivalent to £600 per household.
“We must act now to put the industry on a sustainable footing. We are working with industry to reduce disruption caused by strike action but unions are jumping the gun by announcing this when talks have only just begun.”
