'Biggest rail strike in modern history' WILL go ahead after pay talks fail as Brits brace for travel chaos | The Sun

Posted on

RAIL and tube strikes WILL go ahead next week after pay talks with union leaders derailed.

The strikes are expected to be the biggest in modern history, with a whopping 40,000 union members hanging up their uniforms following a dispute over pay.


The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said it had held discussions in the past few weeks at senior levels with Network Rail, train operators and London Underground.

General secretary Mick Lynch moaned: “Despite the best efforts of our negotiators no viable settlements to the disputes have been created.”

Members of RMT at Network Rail and 13 train operators will begin their strike next Tuesday, June 21.

And they will also strike on June 23 and 25 – bringing the country to a standstill.

READ MORE ON STRIKES

‘Biggest rail strike in modern history’ WILL go ahead after pay talks fail

Rail strikes could see patients DIE as 100k NHS staff struggle to get to work

The strikes will cost the economy billions – with the hospitality industry alone taking a mammoth half a billion pound hit with spending set to fall 20 percent, The Times reported.

The RMT said members are striking over job cuts and below-inflation pay rises.

It comes as the Government has slashed funding for National Rail and Transport for London.

Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines said the strikes have been timed to cause "maximum disruption".

Most read in UK News

LOTTO LUCK

EuroMillions prize rolls over to £112million jackpot after nobody scoops win

SEX ATTACK MANHUNT

Woman 'raped by 3 men' as she walked through green in late night attack

MARNIE EX CAGED

Ex-boyfriend of 'missing' teen, 18, who sparked 48-hour manhunt is jailed

GRIM FIND

Mystery as human SKULL found in duck pond sparking huge police investigation

But Mr Lynch – who took home an eye watering £118,450 in pay and perks in 2020 – insisted that they "don't want to cause misery".

He whinged: "We've got a cost of living crisis and our workers have been working throughout the pandemic and their reward has been a pay freeze.

"I understand the anger of people – but I also understand the anger of our workers.

"We're not holding the public hostage – but we're not going to accept the poverty of our members."

Rail bosses also unveiled a new map of misery showing how only half of Britain's rail and tube network will be rolling next week.

Services across the nation will be hammered by the strikes – sparking misery for millions of Brits.

Network Rail said that no passenger services will serve locations such as Penzance in Cornwall, Bournemouth in Dorset, Swansea in South Wales, Holyhead in North Wales, Chester in Cheshire and Blackpool, Lancashire.

There will also be no passenger trains running north from Glasgow or Edinburgh.

And incredibly, the last train from Edinburgh to London on the East Coast Main Line will stop running at lunchtime at 1.30pm.

The last trains to leave major cities from London on the three strike days will be at 2pm to Edinburgh, 2.56pm to Manchester, 3.05pm to Leeds, 3.31pm to Liverpool or Sheffield, 3.40pm to Birmingham.

There is also the 3.43pm to Newcastle, 4.09pm to Nottingham, 4.30pm to Norwich, 4.33pm to Bristol, 5pm to Southampton and 5.50pm to Brighton. 

Those travelling to London airports at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton or Southend will see some services, but only during the limited hours

While Heathrow trains could be axed next Tuesday due to the separate Tube strike. 

Lines will only be open between 7.30am and 6.30pm, meaning services will start later and finish earlier than usual.

Read More on The Sun

Britain’s most expensive 99 ice cream is being sold for a FIVER

My flat was flooded with my neighbour’s poo – there was used loo roll everywhere

And the number of passenger services on those days is expected to be limited to around 4,500 compared with 20,000 normally.

Only around 12,000 to 14,000 services will be able to run on the days following the strikes because signallers and control staff will not work overnight shifts that begin on the strike dates.

DERAILED

The 13 train operators on strike:

  • Chiltern Railways
  • Cross County Trains
  • Greater Anglia
  • LNER
  • East Midlands Railway
  • c2c
  • Great Western Railway
  • Northern Trains
  • South Eastern Railyway
  • South Western Railway
  • TransPennine Express
  • Avanti West Coast
  • West Midlands Trains

    Source: Read Full Article