Crisis talks to prevent empty supermarket shelves amid fears of railway strike
Contingency plans are being drawn up to try and keep passenger and freight trains running in the event of industrial action after unions warned of “potentially the biggest rail strike in modern history”.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union is balloting 40,000 members on the move, which network sources have reportedly said would create “serious challenges” in keeping goods moving and supermarket shelves stocked.
The vote, which is due to close on Tuesday, includes staff on Network Rail and 15 train operating companies, with the RMT saying the action is being taken over pay, compulsory redundancies and safety concerns.
The union has also announced it intends to ballot members in Scotland for strike action, following what it describes as a “derisory” 2.2% pay offer by ScotRail and proposed timetable changes which it branded a “kick in the teeth” to workers.
And another union, the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA), has warned of a “summer of discontent” with similar action on the way unless pay disputes are resolved.
TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes has said many members have not seen a wage increase for two years.
“If the Department for Transport, Train Operating Companies and Network Rail don’t come forward very soon with proposed pay increases, which at least match inflation, a summer of discontent is on the way across our railways,” Mr Cortes said.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps will meet with the Prime Minister and Chancellor next week to discuss the threat amid fears in Whitehall that the action could be worse than the junior doctor walkout in 2015, The Times has reported.
Specific details about the action have not yet been outlined by the RMT.
But rail bosses could respond by reserving certain times of day exclusively for the passing of freight trains, according to the paper.
A senior rail source is quoted by the paper as saying: “We want to keep people and goods moving but there is no doubt we face serious challenges.
“There is an awful lot of work going on behind the scenes including around what the timetable might look like. One option is times of the day when only freight services operate.”
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) has urged against what it describes as a “premature” ballot but said it was drawing up contingency plans to try and lessen the effects of any potential strike.
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RMT general secretary Mick Lynch
A RDG spokesperson said: “The pandemic was an unprecedented shock for the railway, we now need to adapt to new travel patterns while taking no more than our fair share from the taxpayer. Nobody wins when rail is disrupted.