24 June 2022 - UK rail workers launch biggest strike in decades
More rail strikes extremely likely, says union boss
Catherine Evans (BBC News, 23/06/2022)
More rail strikes are "extremely likely" if talks between rail bosses and unions continue to fail, the union at the centre of the dispute has said.
RMT boss Mick Lynch accused the government of blocking a deal, a claim denied by the government.
For the second time this week a walkout by rail workers has left travellers facing another day of disruption.
Rail strikes: Disruption set to continue after second walkout in a week sees passenger numbers plunge
Chris Robertson (Sky News, 24/06/2022)
The RMT union says Transport Secretary Grant Shapps should "get in the (negotiation) room or get out the way" following a second day of walkouts this week by tens of thousands of rail staff, as a row over pay, jobs and conditions continued.
Passenger numbers plunged to less than 20% of normal usage on Thursday, with only around one in five trains operating, and half the network closed.
Network Rail to begin formal process to lay off up to 1,800 staff
Gwyn Topham (The Guardian, 21/06/2022)
Network Rail will start the formal process to lay off up to 1,800 staff at the end of the month, it has told the RMT, as the first day of the biggest rail strikes in 30 years halted most train services and forced travellers on to congested roads.
Talks were expected to restart on Wednesday to find a settlement to a dispute that involved 40,000 rail staff from Network Rail and 13 train operators walking out for 24 hours on Tuesday.
Rail strikes: words used to describe unions misrepresent the truth about how they work
Holly Smith (The Conversation, 23/06/2022)
Public discussion of pickets, politics and even profile pictures, have been a daily occurrence this week for Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT). As England, Scotland and Wales face severe transport disruption due to industrial action by the RMT, Lynch has appeared on multiple news programmes and has been quoted across the papers. As general secretary – or “union boss” – part of his job is to represent members by explaining that the strikes relate to a dispute over pay, conditions and proposed redundancies on the railway network.