Train strike: Bank holiday rail strike by RMT 'holds the UK to ransom'

 
Dick Murray15 May 2015

Rail passengers have been warned that services will be at a “standstill” the morning after the Bank Holiday because of a planned strike by Network Rail workers.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) will walk out from 5pm on Monday May 25, prompting an accusation that the union was “holding the country to ransom”.

The workers, including signallers and maintenance staff, will also ban overtime for 48 hours on the Bank Holiday Monday and Tuesday.

The union said services will be hit from the Monday but warned that the biggest impact will be on the Tuesday. “Services will be at a standstill,” said one official.

There is a programme of Network Rail engineering work being conducted over the bank holiday weekend.

The action is over a pay dispute but Network Rail said its employees have received pay rises “eight times higher” than other public sector workers over the last four years.

Mark Carne, NR chief executive, said: “It cannot be right that the unions can hold the country to ransom in this way.”

Network Rail called on Acas, the conciliation service, to arrange fresh talks to try and settle the dispute.

Talks are expected next week.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">AAAGGGGHHHHHH Network Rail workers are to stage a 24-hour strike from 5pm on bank holiday Monday in a row over pay,— Zora Suleman (@ZoraSuleman) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/ZoraSuleman/status/599089078131359744" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-46366-https://twitter.com/ZoraSuleman/status/599089078131359744" data-vars-event-id="c23">May 15, 2015</a>

The strike announcement follows a 4-1 vote for action from RMT members, well above a planned threshold being brought in by the new Government.

The RMT said it has rejected the latest Network Rail (NR) pay proposals as falling “well short” of what is required to maintain the living standards, job security and working conditions for nearly 16,000 staff across NR operations and maintenance.

The union refused to rule out more strikes – both national and targeting separate sections of the network – if there is no agreement.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Anyone who commutes to work by mainline railway... when you get into work, book Tues 26th May as a day off. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RailStrike?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-46366-https://twitter.com/hashtag/RailStrike?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#RailStrike</a>— IanVisits (@ianvisits) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/ianvisits/status/599093487640838146" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-46366-https://twitter.com/ianvisits/status/599093487640838146" data-vars-event-id="c23">May 15, 2015</a>

If the action goes ahead, it would be the first national rail walkout since the early 1990s with some sections of the RMT intent on flexing its industrial muscle and giving the new Tory government a bloody nose.

More than 700,000 rail commuters trying to head into London and three million plus users across the UK will be affected .

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rail workers to strike on bank holiday Monday, obviously when I am travelling. .sort it out!— rachel burrows (@raquelburritos) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/raquelburritos/status/599108067674959872" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-46366-https://twitter.com/raquelburritos/status/599108067674959872" data-vars-event-id="c23">May 15, 2015</a>

Mick Cash, who took over as leader following the death of Bob Crow, said the union had been left with “no option but to move to a rolling programme of industrial action.”

A second union, the TSSA which includes white collar and senior signal technicians, was due to announce the result of its strike ballot in the same dispute later today.

London’s business leaders reacted with concern, saying it would hit the capital’s reputation as a leading global centre.

David Leam, Infrastructure director at London First, the independent business membership organisation, said: “This strike is a real concern.

“Every morning over half a million people travel by rail into London.

“Many of those have no alternative journey option and will be forced to stay home.

“That’s bad for business and particularly bad for those workers unable to work remotely, many of whom will be on lower incomes.”

He added: “In the longer term industrial action of this nature can only be a drag on London’s reputation as a global business hub.”

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