National rail and London tube strike dates changed
The dates of a series of national rail and tube strikes have been changed after the RMT union agreed to move one of them to avoid clashing with the annual Royal British Legion (RBL) Poppy day.
The Poppy Day, which is due to take place on Thursday 3rd November, is when the RBL has volunteers in railway stations across London collecting for the annual appeal. It was however one of the days chosen by the RMT union for strike action, which would have had a considerable effect on the Poppy Day’s fundraising appeal.
The Royal British Legion had said that Poppy Day was going to be cancelled because of the strike, and that it would likely lose around £1 million in funding for military veterans as a result.
When the strike dates were announced, the RBL said that “The event sees 2,000 military personnel and veterans collecting for the RBL’s Poppy Appeal across transport hubs in London. It is the most successful single-day collection of its kind in the UK and is reliant on donations from commuters.”
The RMT says that it changed the dates of the strike after being made aware that it would have clashed with the Poppy Day appeal, but this isn’t the first time they’ve called a strike on Poppy Day and had to change the date afterwards, as that happened in 2016 as well. It’s not as if the date is unknown to them, as the London Poppy Day has taken place annually on the first Thursday in November since 2006, and it seems no one double-checked the dates this year.
The RMT national rail strikes will now take place on Saturday 5th, Monday 7th and Wednesday 9th November.
That’s still at least five consecutive days of disruption, as train services will be affected in the evenings before the strike days and in the mornings afterwards. This strike will affect most train companies to some degree as it’s a dispute with Network Rail, which controls the signalling systems. No signal staff means no trains.
There is however another unrelated strike affecting Avanti West Coast on Sunday 6th November, so for Avanti customers, it’s worse.
A London Underground strike, also by the RMT that was due to take place on Poppy Day has also been moved, and this time will take place on Thursday 10th November.
And in other news, another of the big three rail unions, the TSSA, has announced strike action at Network Rail on Thursday 3rd, Saturday 5th, Monday 7th and Tuesday 4th November whilst members in individual train companies will take strike action and action short of strike on 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 8th November.
So although the RMT has called off its strike on Thursday 3rd November, there could still be disruption caused by the TSSA strike, mainly affecting Avanti West Coast and South Western Railway passengers.
Isn’t “poppy day” on 11 November? Or maybe on Remembrance Sunday, 13 November 2022?
London Poppy Day is the day when the campaign is launched in London, with lots of collectors at the stations and in the streets. There are often military bands, Chelsea Pensioners and other interesting sights to see, to encourage us all to give generously.
Where it says ‘And in other news, another of the big three rail unions, the TSSA, has announced strike action at Network Rail on Thursday 3rd, Saturday 5th, Monday 7th and Tuesday 4th November’, I presume the last of these dates should read Tuesday 8th November?
Why are the unions holding the nation to ransome, understand why, but having three strikes in one us not fare, as there still people that have to yse public transport yo get to work in London, and can’t keep relying on the buses.
Yet more strikes when is this ever going to end smh
I find the strikes inconvenient, but I wholeheartedly support them. Many of these people haven’t had a pay rise for 3 years, worked throughout the pandemic.
They should let negotiate with Unions in public or go to arbitration and Ministers be held to account
MORE STRIKES WHEN IS THIS ALL GOING TO END
It will end when the government stops interfering and lets the train operating companies negotiate without having one hand tied behind their backs with a whole host of preconditions.
If this was a simple company – worker negotiation it would have been settled a long time ago with compromise on both sides.
The strikes will end when we can earn enough money to put food on the tables for our families
Joke This Needs Sorting Pay So Much Rail Fares a Year and This Keeps Happening .. Its Nearly 2023 Grow Up you are on About
£38.000 a year for a 40 Hour Week Most People in the Country
would Love Your Pay and Working Hours. Get Back to Work..
Why don’t those people apply for the job then?
Totally agree!
The problems Avanti have been having is because the workers have been doing what you want – working to their contracted working hours for their contracted pay.
It’s not the drivers fault that Avanti relies on overtime to run its weekend service instead of employing drivers contracted to work weekends rather than via voluntary overtime.
And despite what some people think weekend working can be made a contracted term and conditions because other TOCs have done it having negotiated it!
Couldn’t agree more Mark Ellis. The average worker gets around £25k. It’s not exactly an exerting job. The amount that tube train drivers get is bordering on obscene. Around £50K.
Totally Agree With Marc Comments Time for the Strikes
to Stop Now..
I lost my holiday because of strike dates, now they’ve changed them has really hacked me off as I can’t get my holiday back. I hope they get nothing and the government stop them inflicting this disruption on good working people
Totally agree
Wow. Their livelihoods versus your holiday. That’s not good optics for you.
I mean, you’re talking about disruption to good working people and their families who are just trying to do their best and get by. But keep getting disturbed by strike action. Definitely agree with you.
Our thoughts should be with them. And not the people having to go without the services they provide for a day or two.
Solidarity with the strikers. Victory is in sight
They are arrogant so and sos. Sack them now.
“Sack them now” says the man who clearly has no perspective.
Who on earth do you think would be left and what sort of service do you think there would be?
The answer is very few people and no service at all.
There simply isn’t an army of currently unemployed drivers ready to step in at a moments notice. And it takes getting on for a year to fully train a train driver to be able to work fully independently.
People have booked concerts and they rely on trains get back to work and grow up
Everybody has the right to withdraw their labour if they feel they’ve been wronged. You’re not entitled to a train. You can walk or take a cab. And you can support your fellow workers by demanding that employees treat them fairly and pay fair wages.
Your entertainment versus their livelihood. You’re blaming the wrong people. The rail companies and the government are the real enemies here.
I know the feeling!! Canceled a concert on the 3rd to see a musician that’s normally way out my budget as I’m on a low income like millions of us that don’t strick because of it hint hint. Then find out the dates changed and the tickets are now all sold out?????
Stop disrupting working peoples lives..
Everybody has the right to withdraw their labour if they feel they’ve been wronged. You’re not entitled to a train. You can walk or take a cab. And you can support your fellow workers by demanding that employees treat them fairly and pay fair wages.
Not quite everyone. Police officers can’t withhold their labour and are also facing tough working conditions with pay that was frozen for many years. Also had a law that protected their pension changed meaning they lost out financially yet again. I wish they could strike though, might make people appreciate them a bit more.
Right ok, let’s say makes sense like everyone they are entitled to complain etc. But let’s be honest for a minute, you just hit the medium low people with these strikes…people depend on that transport and to be fair with the costs of tickets wich went up, is it fair? With your salaries? What are we talking about here? Get back to work gents, leave the arrogance and idiocracy behind and start rebuild your country because is falling appart…..here is your brexit breakfast and smart decisions of the government. I applaud ironically off course.
I understand that you’ve been offered an 8% rise over 2 years. Until I recently retired I worked for a Civil Service Agency and had to put up with pay freezes and approx 3% rise in 10 years. Sorry, I have no sympathy especially when you change dates at the drop of a hat
Frankly, I’ve had enough of the rubbish imposed by these so-called ‘Unions’. Don’t like your job? Or the conditions. LEAVE THEN!
The lot of them should be sacked. These people need a short, sharp shock. Otherwise, GET BACK TO WORK.
If you sack them all how will anyone be able to use the trains? Think through your argument 🙂
Good on you. And they claim that Londoners are right behind them. We should all be right behind them. Giving them a bloody boot up the backside. It’s not exactly a challenging job. Half the workforce stand around at stations chatting to each other!
Good on you Mean Al.And they claim that Londoners are right behind them. We should all be right behind them. Giving them a bloody boot up the backside. It’s not exactly a challenging job. Half the workforce stand around at stations chatting to each other!
I was under the impression that this was as much about safety as it is about money. I too think earning around £38k a year is a very reasonable wage, it’s roughly what I earn. What isn’t acceptable is passengers safety being compromised.
RMT have totally messed up my weekend away because of their greed and selfishness. No wonder they don’t have the support of the public anymore!,
I suppose I should be grateful that they’ve cancelled the strike on 3rd so trains running in 4th but I’ve got no way of getting home on the 7th. Disrupted passenger should make claims not for just late or cancelled trains but also for loss of events booked. If I cancel my weekend, the events company will not give my money back as it’s up to me to sort my transportation. They already earn more than the average person, just typical labour run unions!
The Labour Party does not run the unions. Union members do.
RMT isn’t even affiliated with the Labour Party and hasn’t been since around 2004!
In fact only a small number of unions are affiliated.
I’m all for a good moan but please be accurate!
I have a two hour commute to work and rely on tube, train and bus. I can’t simply ‘walk or get a cab’ instead.
Their livelihood is only under threat because they are refusing to modernise their working patterns and accept a very fair pay increase. People have every right to complain whether it’s because they are missing a day of work, a concert, or a hospital appointment. These complainers are ultimately the people who pay their wages!!
Also would these people sit back quietly if they started losing days of holiday because of other peoples actions? I don’t think so!
The “modernisation” seems to include less safety checks of the line and more night time working. We have one of the safest rail networks in the world, let’s not compromise that.
Stop blaming the workers and the unions and direct your anger at the source of your issue…the Government.
I am a single mother with 2 small children that I take to school via public transport 5 days a week. I don’t have the funds to just ‘pay for a cab’ like someone here has said, and I cannot make a 4 and 5 year old walk all that way.
This whole year has been bombarded with constant train strikes which has made day to day life significantly difficult for us. Its not the middle class lot suffering as they can afford taxis and their own cars, it’s us working class who are suffering because of the inconsideration of others.
Train strike dates are just dropped onto us at very short notice and we are expected to happily adapt and just get on with it which is extremely unfair.
You’re totally right. I wonder, though, if this has a connection with many citizens wanting to leave the EU without a second thought and getting the whole nation in a terrible mess, irreparable perhaps?
The law states that unions have to give a minimum 14 days notice of strikes.
If you think that’s too short notice then blame the government.
These tube workers are just selfish. They stand on picket lines laughing and joking. Bloody egoistic.So how exactly do they get to these picket lines. Maybe they walk or get a taxi. Many of them travel to work on early shift in taxis that tfl pay for. Gets who foots the bill for that in the long run. US COMMUTERS!
Ah sorry, I didn’t realise this was all about safety. There was me thinking that it was about the workers wanting higher wages (so the can ‘feed their families’) and not wanting to change their working patterns. LOL!
Maybe the workers should start aiming their anger at the government and not the fare paying customers!
Am i going mad?. I’m sure that when the train strikes started originally I thought it was only RMT,and ASLEF?
Now suddenly there are 9 striking train companies how comes?
You are now saying that on Thursday 3rd November RMT won’t be going on strike because of the launch of the RBL APPEAL you have cancelled the day, because you want public to donate money at the london stations. So my question is why arn,t the other train companies cancelling there strike day?.
Get on the program please the majority of you get a fair wage and have been offered 8%, which may i add is a lot more than most.This country is skint yes no money tree, stop holding all your customers to ransom.
Don’t forget the actions that local authorities have been taking to discourage car use, leading people to rely on public transport. If more of us would be driving, the strikes wouldn’t cause as much disruption.
Don’t give into the rail companies there lucky to be in work with many people loosing there jobs..there’s far to many working on the underground as it is.
Time for a clear out.
Why are a lot of people on here saying, “blame the government”, aren’t train companies run privately?,
Network Rail is state-owned, as are several of the train companies, such as Southeastern, LNER, etc.
Train companies are private companies but the terms of their government contracts basically means they are controlled by the government via service specifications and contractual terms.
IIRC only LNER is owned by the UK government.
The modernisation isn’t less checks of the line. It’s using safer technology like cameras on the front of trains to constantly monitor tracks. It’s using drones etc. The unions just want to stick to 1943 and have men out there doing the job which isn’t safer. Also the reason they are being asked to work at night is because a lot of jobs require control of line which means a train cannot be on the track at that time as men are working. Would you rather that be during the night while you are in bed or in the day time while you are trying to travel? They are being asked to move with the times and be flexible and the unions are full of old bitter sods who don’t want change. I work in rail, I get a good wage and I’m happy to work nights and weekends to get the job done due to the fact my wage is good. I’ve literally seen Union guys tell newer, younger men at work to slow down and take their time because if they are too quick then it will become expected that that will be the new standard. Also just a few weeks ago the RMT kept someone their job after multiple racist and sexist remarks. Fuck em.
How about the likes of Civil servants? NO PAY RISE for almost 10 years,low pay, working through out the Pandemic to support the country. We should be the ones to receive a pay rise and improved working conditions.
I have no sympathy for these Rail workers, they already receive large salaries for an easy job. They should be supporting the country in these hard times, and calling for the extortionate fares to be decreased, for a rail service that provides a terrible service.Please consider people in a much worse position than yourselves. Totally selfish behaviour!!!
if I’m late for work – I get money deducted from wages. If I’m unable to get to work – I’m not getting paid. During the last strike I had to take emergency leave as I couldn’t get to work, so lost a day’s pay. It’s unfair on us working class people, while the rich folk can work from home and wouldn’t be in any way affected by these strikes!
Sounds like you should join a union and get those onerous conditions changed.
It’s all the fault of the greedy rail companies
– trying to cut costs by relying on overtime workers
– getting lots of profits from travel demand rebound and increasing ticket prices
– yet the bosses want to keep all the money to themselves, actively refusing to keep up the workers’ wages against the inflation
Relying on overtime is actually more expensive than employing drivers. Not just via the enhanced rates of pay but it feeds into increased National Insurance and likely pension contributions as well if overtime isn’t excluded from the scheme.
Excessive overtime is required because the TOCs – in the main – haven’t recruited enough drivers in the first place and / or negotiated contracts that include an element of weekend work in the working week.
The problems Avanti is having at the weekends is because they haven’t done either of those things and many of their drivers are refusing to work overtime because it’s voluntary.
When you have to rely on voluntary overtime to run your services over an extended time period that is a management and not a worker failure.
Isn’t the bickering here, over what constitutes fair pay for any given work, exactly what powerful and controlling entities on both sides relish?