Two more days announced for rail strikes

THE next walkout in a series of rail strikes across the country has been announced.

This time it is being led by the TSSA union in an ongoing dispute over pay, job security and conditions.

The strike will last 24 hours, however it will be from noon on Monday September 26 to noon on Tuesday September 27, meaning the disruption to rail services will spread over two working days.

TSSA members at least seven train companies which run in London will take part in the strike – Avanti West Coast, c2c, East Midlands Railway (EMR), Great Western Railway (GWR), LNER, London Northwestern Railway (LNR) and Southeastern.

Network Rail staff will also take part, meaning it is likely there will be some disruption across all rail lines across the capital at some point. The disruption should be less widespread than previous action unless other rail unions (such as the RMT or ASLEF) also join the action.

The union says it is unhappy with the lack of engagement from the transport secretary Grant Shapps in negotiations over his plans to modernise the railway, and pay offers. The Department for Transport (DfT) maintains that it is not his role to intervene in pay negotiations as they are to be handled on a case by case basis by rail unions and rail companies.

TSSA union leader Manuel Cortes said: “The dead hand of Grant Shapps is sadly stopping DfT train operating companies from making a revised, meaningful offer. Frankly, he either sits across the negotiating table with our union or gets out of the way to allow railway bosses to freely negotiate with us, as they have done in the past. The reason for the current impasse lies squarely at Shapps’ door and passengers are paying a high price for his incompetence and intransigence.”