Train operators will go on strike for two days in October as part of a protracted salary dispute.
Tuesday, unions declared that 12 railway companies’ drivers will strike on October 1 and 5.
The strikes will impact travel to and from the Conservative party conference in Birmingham from October 2 to 5 as well as the London Marathon.
The organization that represents train companies stated that the journeys of “thousands” of marathon runners could be affected.
The race on 2 October does not occur on a strike day, however, services may be interrupted in the days following the auction due to trains not being in their proper stations.
The Rail Delivery Group stated, “These strikes will again cause severe difficulty to the very passengers the industry needs to recover from the current plague.”
As a sign of respect for the queen, the train driver’s union, Aslef, notified railway companies of the current strike on Friday but made no public announcement at the time.
A strike that had been scheduled for September 15 was postponed after the death of the Queen was announced.
The union stated that it had successfully negotiated pay arrangements with nine train companies this year, but that it was still in disagreement with certain businesses, which it claimed had not offered a deal and whose drivers had not received a pay raise since 2019.
“We would prefer not to be in this situation. Aslef’s general secretary, Mick Whelan, stated that the train companies were attempting to push the union’s hand, even though striking is a fundamental human right.
The corporations with which we have a dispute have not made us a single proposition. It is absurd that they ask us to accept a real pay cut for the third consecutive year. Consequently, we are going on strike.”
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, reported that the strikes were unjustified “This is not in the long-term interest of rail workers or the development of sustainable rail business.
“We want to give our employees a raise, but without the adjustments, we’re proposing, we can’t do so,” a statement read.
Additional RMT Union-affiliated rail workers, such as guards and signaling staff, will also participate in another day of strike action on October 1.
Members of the TSSA union are also likely to strike on the same date, but this has not been officially confirmed.
Numerous large-scale train strikes have already occurred in recent months, disrupting the lives of millions, as unions demand pay raises commensurate with the rising cost of living.
Employers in the rail industry claim they intend to increase workers’ salaries. However, they and the government claim that modifications are necessary to “modernize” the railway, terminate certain working practices, and save costs.
They say that since passenger revenue is lower than it was before the epidemic and billions of public dollars have been used to maintain services, neither taxpayers nor passengers should be required to pay more to close the budget gap. Therefore, salary increases must be paid by changes.
