Train strike: Even MORE rail workers set to walk off the job this month causing travel chaos
EVEN more train workers are set to walk off the job this month causing further travel chaos.
Drivers on Hull Trains, Greater Anglia and Croydon Tramlink are set to stage strikes later this month in separate disputes over pay, Aslef has announced.
Members of Aslef on Hull Trains will strike on June 26, at Greater Anglia on June 23 and on Croydon Tramlink on June 28 and 29 and July 13 and 14.
The TSSA said it will ballot hundreds of workers for industrial action at train operator Avanti West Coast in a dispute over pay, conditions and job security.
It comes as more than 50,000 railway staff have already planned to walk out later this month in the biggest dispute on the network in 33 years.
TSSA said it is demanding from Avanti a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies for 2022, no unagreed changes to terms and conditions, and a pay increase which reflects the rising cost of living.
Voting will start on June 15 and close two weeks later, with the union saying strikes could start in mid-July if there is support from members.
TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: "Avanti West Coast needs to come to the table to face the concerns of their staff and tell their paymasters in government that widespread rail disruption is on the cards.
"Avanti West Coast staff are asking for some basic fair treatment - not to be sacked from their jobs; a fair pay rise in the face of a cost-of-living-crisis; and no race to the bottom on terms and conditions.
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"We could be seeing a summer of discontent across our railways. We are preparing for all options, including co-ordinated strike action."
Avanti operates passenger train services from London Euston to Birmingham, Crewe, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow.
The announcement of the strike has caused huge anger and has left Brits facing a summer travel meltdown with chaos on the rails and rocketing fuel prices piled on top of airport misery.
It leaves fed-up families facing a choice between battling summer airport queues or increasingly-costly staycations.
RMT claims Network Rail and the train operating companies have subjected their staff to multiyear pay freezes and plan to cut thousands of jobs which will make the railways unsafe.
Despite intense talks with the rail bosses, RMT has not been able to secure a pay proposal nor a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.
The strikes threaten widespread travel disruption during a number of major events, including concerts, test match cricket and the Glastonbury festival.
Glastonbury starts on June 22, while that week will also see England play New Zealand in a Test match in Leeds, the British athletics championships in Manchester, and gigs in London's Hyde Park by Sir Elton John and The Rolling Stones.
The Prime Minister yesterday described the rail strike action as "reckless and wanton" in the Commons.
At Prime Minister's Questions, Labour MP Afzal Khan said: "Two weeks ago the Prime Minister told the House: 'To the best of my knowledge everybody is getting their passport within four to six weeks', however the Passport Office is currently quoting a 10-week service time, with many of my constituents waiting well over that period.
"Cancelled summer trips could cost families over £1 billion. Does the Prime Minister accept that the Passport Office backlog is placing additional pressure on families already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis?"
Boris Johnson replied: "Actually what we are doing is 91% are getting their passport within six weeks I can tell him. We are putting hundreds more staff into the Passport Office.
"The strength of demand by the way is a sign of the robustness of the economy because everyone is frankly wanting to go on holiday and quite right too.
"But when it comes to travel chaos, have we heard any condemnation yet from the opposition for the RMT and their reckless and wanton strike?"
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Downing Street has urged the RMT to call off rail strikes planned for later this month and come to the negotiating table.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said strikes would cause "lasting damage" to the industry and those who work in it.