BRITS are experiencing a weekend of fresh travel misery as thousands of workers continue to strike over pay, jobs & conditions.
Network Rail, train companies, London Underground and buses in the capital will be hit by walkouts throughout Saturday and Sunday.
The industrial action is set to cause travel chaos for workers, holidaymakers and fans going to events, including a cricket Test match at Lords.
Network Rail confirmed only 20 percent of services will operate with train companies LNER, Cross Country and Chiltern Railways among those who will be affected.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and Unite will be involved in the industrial action, after ongoing talks failed to break the deadlocked rows.
On Thursday, RMT members at Network Rail (NR) and 14 train operators, TSSA members at seven companies, and Unite members at NR took industrial action – cancelling 50 per cent of the nation's services.
Sunday morning train services will be affected by the knock-on effect of today's action.
Read our Train strikes live blog below for the latest news & updates…
- Matt Snape
Disruption for ScotRail passengers this weekend
Train services across Scotland are set to be severely impacted this weekend as Network Rail employees take further strike action.
ScotRail will only run a very limited Saturday service on 11 routes in the central belt, Fife, and the Borders, BBC News reports.
Trains will only operate between 07:30 and 18:30.
- Matt Snape
What other rail strikes took place this week?
Staff at Network Rail participated in rail strikes on Thursday, while TfL confirmed the Tube strikes on Friday resulted in usage of the underground being 90 percent down on the same day last week, with 98,345 entrances and exits on the LU network up until 10am, the BBC reported.
- Matt Snape
Rail strikes: What’s going on?
The unions are arguing with the government and rail companies as they claim salaries should increase to reflect the rising cost of living.
Network Rail, claiming its recent offer is worth more than 5 percent, although this will be determined by whether workers agree to "modernising reforms".
However, the RMT suggests this is a "paltry sum".
Mick Lynch, General Secretary of RMT, told the BBC: "We can deal with evolution of the railway, but what we can't have is imposition of change and detrimental changes to our members lives that will make them not able to change their bills."
- Matt Snape
Rail strikes: Which events will be impacted?
Music and football fans have been warned to check whether they will still be able to travel by train to concerts and sports fixtures – or whether they should switch to travelling by car or coach.
BBC News confirms many events that could be affected will include Becky Hill at Crystal Palace Park in London and the All Point's East festival, in Victoria Park, London. Camp Bestival is taking place in Shropshire but it is thought that most of its 90,000 ticket-holders will already be on site halfway through the four-day festival.
Also, every Saturday during the football season sees a mass migration of away fans.
Wolves fans will be travelling en masse to London for their lunchtime match at Tottenham while fans of some big Championship clubs such as Sunderland are having a second awayday this season disrupted by the strike action.
- Matt Snape
Rail strikes: Know which trains are still running
Only 4,300 services out of the regular 20,000 across Britain will run on what is now the sixth day of national rail strikes this summer.
In London, the bus strike will proceed from Friday, with routes being impacted in south-west London and parts of Surrey.
ScotRail stated the strike did not involve its staff, but there could be a knock-on effect in Scotland as there will be just 11 routes open.
Sunday travellers have been advised to expect some disruption – although 85 percent of services are expected to run as normal, BBC News confirmed.
- Matt Snape
RMT warns stalemate ‘may last a long time’
The RMT union warned a "stalemate" means the latest strikes over rail workers’ pay, jobs, and conditions may last for a long time.
Network Rail said only 20 percent of services will run with train companies LNER, Cross Country and Chiltern Railways among those who will be impacted today.
BBC News reports that the RMT has blamed the government for preventing the train companies from providing its workers a better deal.
However, ministers replied that the unions were causing the block, adding that if the agreements on offer were put to the workers, they would likely accept them.
- Matt Snape
Rail strikes: Only 20 percent of services expected to operate
Roughly 45,000 rail workers have started another day of strike action in a row over pay, jobs and conditions.
Network Rail said only 20 percent of services will run with train companies LNER, Cross Country and Chiltern Railways among those who will be impacted, reports BBC News.
- Louis Allwood
Sunday 21 August
Disruption from the strikes will continue to affect some services on Sunday.
Avoid travelling on affected services before 08:00.
- Louis Allwood
Saturday 20 August
Strikes on national rail services (nationwide) expected to cause severe disruption.
Buses: Services affected in west and south west London and parts of Surrey
- Impact on the following routes: 9, 18, 33, 49, 65, 70, 71, 72, 85, 94, 105, 110, 116, 117, 148, 203, 211, 216, 220, 223, 224, 235, 258, 265, 266, 272, 281, 283, 290, 293, 371, 404, 406, 411, 418, 419, 423, 440, 465, 467, 470, 481, C1, E1, E3, H17, H22, H32, H37, H91, H98, K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, N9, N18, N33, N65, N72, N266 and S3
- No Night Bus services on affected routes
London Overground – Reduced service between 08:00 and 18:00. No service after 18:00. No Night Overground
Elizabeth line
- Central (Paddington-Abbey Wood) – reduced service after 18:00
- East (Liverpool Street-Shenfield) – trains running every 30 minutes 07:00-17:30 only. Trains won’t stop at Maryland, Forest Gate, Manor Park, Goodmayes
- West (Paddington-Reading/Heathrow) – trains every 30 minutes 07:10-17:40 only. Heathrow trains only running to Terminal 4
District line – No service between Wimbledon and Parson’s Green, and Richmond and Turnham Green before 08:00 and after 18:00
Bakerloo line – No service north of Queen’s Park
- Louis Allwood
Commuters left furious by the strikes
Some commuters that have struggled today have taken to Twitter to express their frustration at the strikes.
One said: "Had to leave work an hour earlier cos of this train strike , if not I’ll be home by sunday."
Another added: "Anyone want two free tickets to Bauhaus at Brixton academy today? The tube strike has ruined my day."
- Louis Allwood
‘The unions are hell-bent on causing as much misery as possible’
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “It’s clear, from their co-ordinated approach, that the unions are hell-bent on causing as much misery as possible…
“To the very same taxpayers who stumped up £600 per household to ensure not a single rail worker lost their job during the pandemic.
“Sadly, union chiefs have short memories and will be repaying this act of good faith by ruining millions of hard-working people’s summer plans.
“Businesses too will suffer, with the capital’s leisure and tourism sectors, which have been banking on that summer trade, set to lose millions – a particularly cruel blow given how hard many worked to stay afloat during successive summers of lockdown.”
- Louis Allwood
Brits face weekend travel chaos
Brits are facing more summer holiday travel misery this weekend as yet another strike grips today.
Train services will face delays and cancellations across the country – just a day after tens of thousands of workers staged a walk-out on Thursday.
The chaos is set to last until at least Sunday amid strikes at Network Rail, across train services, on the London Underground and on bus routes.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and Unite are involved in the industrial action after ongoing talks failed to break the deadlocked rows.
Four out of every five trains will not run on Saturday, and there'll be fewer services on Sunday as staff get back to work.
- Louis Allwood
Grant Shapps warns massive penalties for striking rail workers
GRANT Shapps warned rail union barons that he will force a crackdown on the ability to strike if workers don’t vote on a new Government pay offer.
London was brought to a standstill yesterday as RMT Union members refused to operate the Tube, forcing it to shut down.
Yesterday, national rail services also ground to a halt as workers picketed stations in protest over pay.
The Government has offered workers an eight per cent pay-rise over two years.
But RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch snubbed the proposal without formally putting it to members for a vote.
This morning Mr Shapps said that if a vote on the offer doesn't go ahead, he’ll be forced to slap the RMT with Section 188 of the Trade Union Act.
The section allows bosses to break rules on when staff can be fired if “special circumstances render it not reasonably practicable for the employer to comply”.
Mr Shapps told Sky News: “If we can’t get this settled in the way that we’re proposing – which is please put the deal to your membership – then we will have to move to a section 188.
“We will have to impose modernisations, but we’d much rather do it through these offers being put to their members.”
The Transport Secretary said a law that would force unions to run a minimum number of services is “written and ready to go”. It could be in place by autumn.
- Louis Allwood
Sadiq Khan says tube strike caused by concern over Government funding deal
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the Tube strike is being caused by workers' concerns about the impact of a funding deal from the Government.
He told Sky News: "The only reason for the strikes in recent weeks in London is because of the conditions the Government is trying to attach to a funding deal, and the trade unions are concerned about the consequences of those conditions on their members.
"This is about pension concerns that trade unions have.
"I don't want these conditions imposed on our transport workers.
"Our transport workers have been heroes, for the last-two-and-a-half years keeping public transport running in London to allow our key workers like nurses, doctors, teachers, retailers, police officers to get to work.
"The way to reward them is not by having draconian conditions that change their pensions unilaterally."
- Louis Allwood
Planned airport workers' strike SUSPENDED
A planned strike by airport security staff has been suspended so workers can be consulted over an improved pay offer.
Members of the GMB union at Leeds Bradford Airport were set to walk out for three days next week over pay following a ballot vote of 93% in favour of industrial action.
Joe Wheatley, GMB negotiator, said: "Following a number of commitments put forward by Leeds Bradford bosses to improve pay, we now need to fully consult with our members working in security at the airport.
"GMB's strike committee has agreed to suspend next week's planned strike action to give us the facility, time and space to consider the new, improved offer with our members."
- Louis Allwood
'Big stalemate' between Government and Mayor over London Underground
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said there is a "big stalemate" between the Government and the London Mayor's office over the funding of the Underground, and the union had been shut out of talks.
"There have been talks lots and lots of times," he said. "There's been a whole series of talks, but we are excluded from the talks, because the main discussion is going on between the Government and the Mayor's office and they won't even disclose the numbers involved, which runs into billions of pounds.
"Essentially, Mayor (Sadiq) Khan is offering our members' terms and conditions as a hostage to get the funding of the railway, and the bus services as well, the whole of TfL pushed downwards."
Asked whether he thinks there will be an offer, Mr Lynch said: "We would hope so. They've got to get us around the table so we can talk about their issues, but at the minute there's been a big stalemate.
"That stalemate starts between the two authorities, which are the Government and the Mayor. It's very difficult for us to know what's going on. There's not any meaningful discussion between us and the employer because the employer doesn't know how much money it's going to have. That's not a way to run a major global city.
"We've got to have a settlement that allows the people of London to get a decent transport system and the workers on that system to be assured of their future."
- Louis Allwood
RMT boss claims members' pensions are at risk
Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said members' pensions are at risk.
Speaking at a picket line in Bollo Lane, Acton Town, west London, he said: "We're out on strike today because we haven't got an agreement from the TfL LUL (London Underground Limited) about the future of the pension scheme, which is under threat and, at the moment, there's negotiations going on between the Government, the Treasury, and Mayor (Sadiq) Khan's office about the future funding of London Underground.
"They've cut £2 billion from the funding and that has put at risk our members' pensions.
"They want to decimate the pensions and change it into an entirely different, cheaper scheme, which will make all our members poorer in retirement and probably pay more while they are working.
"We haven't gotten an agreement. There's also threats to terms and conditions. We wanted a promise that terms and conditions won't be diluted and there is a threat of a loss of jobs in certain sections of the Underground."
- Louis Allwood
Tube strikes are harming London's recovery from Covid-19
Tube strikes are harming London's recovery from coronavirus, Sadiq Khan has warned.
The Mayor of London said the latest 24-hour shut down of the capital's Underground was "incredibly frustrating", and he could not commit that the industrial dispute between Transport for London (TfL) and unions will be resolved by the new year.
In an interview, Mr Khan stood by his 2016 pledge for "zero strikes" on the Tube, saying he had reduced walkouts between then and the start of the pandemic "by more than 70% by talking at the same time as making big changes in TfL".
But he warned: "I am frustrated by the strikes today. It's ordinary Londoners, commuters and businesses who will be affected today at a time we're trying to get a recovery.
"If we were speaking in January, the amount of people using the tube was about 45% versus pre-pandemic [levels].
"It's now more than 70%, I worry that next week when public transport is running fully, we'll have fewer people using public transport which limits our ability to make a full recovery sooner."
- Louis Allwood
Commuters to be hit with delays and cancellations tomorrow
Avanti West Coast is advising customers to travel only if absolutely necessary tomorrow. The company will run one train per hour from Euston to Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Preston, with a limited service on to Glasgow.
North Wales, Shrewsbury, Blackpool and Edinburgh will have no services. Stockport, Macclesfield, Stoke-on-Trent and Runcorn stations will be closed.
Chiltern are advising customers they will be running an extremely limited service, without a replacement bus service.
Two trains per hour will operate from Marylebone to High Wycombe and one train per hour to Aylesbury via Amersham. There will be no service north of High Wycombe and no replacement bus service.
CrossCountry will be running a extremely limited service. Tomorrow, trains will only run between Derby and Edinburgh and between Southampton Central and Manchester Piccadilly.
All Gatwick Express trains will be cancelled.
- Louis Allwood
Grim warning for travelers
Today, chiefs at Transport for London gave a grim warning to travellers hoping to make the most of the school break.
A spokesperson said: "Strikes on national rail services are expected to cause severe disruption.
"Only travel on national rail services if absolutely necessary."
Buses in West and South West London, as well as parts of Surrey, will also be hit with problems.
The Tube has been deserted today because of strikes. Services will resume tomorrow morning after 8am, when a normal programme should resume.
However, there will be disruption on the Overground, and no services either before 8am or after 6pm.
- Louis Allwood
Weekend disruption
On Saturday, RMT members at Network Rail and 14 train operators, TSSA members at seven companies, and Unite members at NR will strike again, along with London United bus drivers.
Sunday morning train services will be affected by the knock-on effect of Saturday’s action.
Rail services on Thursday and Saturday will be drastically reduced, with only around a fifth running, and half of lines closed.
Trains will only operate between 7.30am and 6.30pm on both strike days.
- Louis Allwood
‘The railway is vital to this country’
Steve Montgomery, who chairs the Rail Delivery Group, said: “The leadership of RMT and TSSA are imposing yet more uncertainty on passengers and businesses by disrupting passengers’ travel plans.
“While we will do all that we can to minimise the impact and to get people where they need to be, passengers should only travel by rail if absolutely necessary and be aware that services may start later the morning after strikes.
“If you’re not able to travel on 18 or 20 August, you can use your ticket either the day before or up to and including 23 August, otherwise you will be able to change your ticket or claim a refund.
“The railway is vital to this country, but with passenger revenue still 20% below 2019 levels, securing a strong future means we have to change and move with the times.
“Only then can we fund the pay rise we want to give our people, while delivering the more reliable Sunday services and improved punctuality our passengers deserve.”
- Louis Allwood
Commuters left furious by the strikes
Some commuters that have struggled today have taken to Twitter to express their frustration at the strikes.
One said: "Had to leave work an hour earlier cos of this train strike , if not I’ll be home by sunday."
Another added: "Anyone want two free tickets to Bauhaus at Brixton academy today? The tube strike has ruined my day."
- Louis Allwood
‘The unions are hell-bent on causing as much misery as possible’
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “It’s clear, from their co-ordinated approach, that the unions are hell-bent on causing as much misery as possible…
“To the very same taxpayers who stumped up £600 per household to ensure not a single rail worker lost their job during the pandemic.
“Sadly, union chiefs have short memories and will be repaying this act of good faith by ruining millions of hard-working people’s summer plans.
“Businesses too will suffer, with the capital’s leisure and tourism sectors, which have been banking on that summer trade, set to lose millions – a particularly cruel blow given how hard many worked to stay afloat during successive summers of lockdown.”
- Louis Allwood
Brits face weekend travel chaos
Brits are facing more summer holiday travel misery this weekend as yet another strike grips tomorrow.
Train services will face delays and cancellations across the country – just a day after tens of thousands of workers staged a walk-out on Thursday.
The chaos is set to last until at least Sunday amid strikes at Network Rail, across train services, on the London Underground and on bus routes.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and Unite are involved in the industrial action after ongoing talks failed to break the deadlocked rows.
Four out of every five trains will not run on Saturday, and there'll be fewer services on Sunday as staff get back to work.
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