Northern strike
Strikes hit Northern, as operator says more than 40% of its timetabled services run on day of industrial action.
NORTHERN claims to have run more than 40% of its timetabled services on April 28, during the latest industrial action over the role of guards.
While limited services ran on many of its routes, buses replaced trains on Blackburn to Hebden Bridge and Todmorden, Burnley Central-Colne, Clitheroe-Blackburn, Kirkby Stephen-Carlisle, LincolnRetford, the Windermere branch, Settle-Lancaster, Skipton to Leeds/ Settle, Stockport-Altrincham, and Workington-Carlisle.
Northern says that by 1000 on April 28, more than 420 trains had completed their journeys, with another 700 due to run during the rest of the day. However, few trains ran after 1900, with other operators accepting tickets where possible. Particular focus was put on the Wolds Coast and Middlesbrough-Whitby routes to cater for the Tour de Yorkshire event, with trains strengthened in anticipation of increased demand.
The RMT union, whose members went on strike, claimed that Northern “failed to offer any progress” at talks aimed at averting the strikes. It added that a proposal to invite Department for Transport officials to take part in three-way talks was rejected “point blank”.
The union says Northern has failed to guarantee a second member of staff on its trains, and that the company plans to introduce a minimum of 50% Driver Controlled Operation (DCO) trains across the franchise when new rolling stock is introduced. It described the strike action on April 28 as “solid as a rock from coast to coast and right the way across the Arriva Rail North franchise”.
However, Northern Deputy Managing Director Richard Allan said: “We believe we would keep a second person on many of our services, and at some locations we may choose to staff the station to give better support to customers. It is hugely disappointing that the RMT is making demands rather than working with us to develop our plans.”
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash responded: “The fact that 60% of stations are already unstaffed means that removing the guarantee that currently exists of a guard on every train will mean disabled passengers are simply no longer able to turn up and go at unstaffed stations.”