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Strike action resumed by rail workers, border force staff and driving examiners

By Nagasunder in UK Business News, posted December 28, 2022

Rail workers, Border Force personnel, and driving examiners will resume strike action on Wednesday, December 28 with commuters warned of significant delays.

It follows a day of travel chaos despite the end of a rail strike by the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers' Union (RMT).

Leaving crowds of passengers waiting at major train stations across London and countless journeys delayed due to the late handover of engineering works.

Rail unions have gone on strike in a dispute with the government and rail companies over pay, job cuts, and changes to terms and conditions, claiming that they should be given a pay offer that reflects the rising cost of living.

West Midlands Trains said that none of its services would be running from Wednesday morning as a result of the TSSA strike.

TSSA organising director Nadine Rae said its members are "sick and tired of being taken for granted" and "deserve a pay rise to manage the escalating cost of living".

"The company, like all the train operators under the control of the Department for Transport, need to face up to the fact that only serious offers which meet our aspirations will end this dispute," she said.

Network Rail has told passengers to prepare for "significantly disrupted" travel into the new year amid the wave of industrial unrest.

At the same time, driving instructors, who are part of the PCS union and employed by the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency, will walk out of test centres across eastern England and the Midlands.

They are set to return to work on 1 January.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "Our members have been offered a pay rise of just 2 percent at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is above 10 percent,"

"These strikes could be called off tomorrow if Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt put some money on the table."

Border Force officers at Gatwick, Heathrow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow airports and the port of Newhaven will resume strikes in the same dispute and will return to work on New Year's Eve.

A Home Office spokesperson said passengers should expect disruption during the action, but added that staff are "working hard to ensure travellers have a safe and secure journey".

"We continue to work closely with port operators at a local and national level to minimise disruption as well as ensure ports are prepared to make provisions for the welfare of passengers in the event of longer queues," they added.

Meanwhile, unions are reportedly considering splitting ballots by job title rather than holding a single vote to decide on future strike action.

According to sources, the TSSA is planning to allow different sections of its membership to vote at different times in order to carry out multiple walkouts per week.

The Department for Transport has described the reports as "incredibly disappointing" and urged unions to "step back, reconsider and get back around the table".

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"After two years of virtual Christmases, the British public deserves better than to have their festive celebrations impacted by strikes," a spokesman said.

"The transport secretary and rail minister have worked hard to facilitate a fair and reasonable offer, which two unions have accepted, and it is incredibly disappointing that some continue to strike."

Source: Sky News

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