Union barons plan largest rail strike since ’94

RAIL workers are to strike next month in the biggest co-ordinated protest for almost a quarter of a century.

The dispute over drivers opening train doors rather than guards escalated yesterday, leaving passengers on five rail operators facing disruption.

From November 8, members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will strike on Southern, South Western Railway and Greater Anglia for 8 hours, while guards on Merseyrail and Arriva Rail North will walk out for 2 hours.

Last night a Network Rail source said it was the biggest co-ordinated protest since the 199 Railtrack signallers’ dispute. RMT boss Mick Cash also called for members of drivers’ union Aslef to reject a pay deal from Southern that would put them on up to £75,000 a year.

Tory MP Chris Philp said the RMT – which has had 3 days of strikes in the past 18 months over the Southern dispute – was ‘hell bent’ on causing misery for commuters. The RMT said it had made ‘every single effort’ to resolve the disputes.

Paul Plummer, of the Rail Delivery Group, which brings together operators and Network Rail, said the RMT should ‘get back to constructive talks’.