Monday 20 June 2022 10:19 PM The UK starts grinding to a halt as unions plunge Britain into a £1bn 'lockdown' trends now

Union barons will force towns and cities into ‘lockdown’ and cost hospitality firms £1 billion this week, business leaders warned last night.

Britain’s railways will come to a grinding halt today after last-ditch talks failed to avert the biggest strikes for 30 years.

The militant RMT union was accused of ‘punishing millions of innocent people’ by pressing ahead with the walkouts, despite rail bosses offering workers a pay rise of at least 3 per cent – the same given last year to NHS staff who battled the Covid-19 crisis. 

The rail industry will also take a £150 million hit at a time when pre-pandemic passenger numbers are yet to return.

The walkouts will hinder millions trying to get to work, stop patients attending vital health appointments and inflict undue stress on students sitting exams.

Boris Johnson will condemn the strikes today ahead of a Cabinet meeting. He will say: ‘The unions are harming the very people they claim to be helping.

‘By going ahead with these rail strikes, they are driving away commuters who ultimately support the jobs of rail workers, while also impacting businesses and communities across the country.

‘Too-high demands on pay will also make it incredibly difficult to bring to an end the current challenges facing families around the world with rising costs of living.’

In other developments:

A string of Labour MPs boasted they will join striking rail workers on picket lines today, amid reports the party has banned Shadow Cabinet ministers from taking part; Travellers looking to avoid the strikes were warned they face congested roads, overflowing buses and a hike in taxi fares; The Prime Minister said public sector workers should brace themselves for a real-terms pay cut to help curb inflation; Barristers will go on strike from next week in a row over pay which will paralyse crown courts and delay trials for months.

There had been hope of a breakthrough in the row over rail jobs and pay after sources close to the negotiations said there was ‘some movement’ from the RMT and ‘small steps of progress’ were being made. But it was dashed after union boss Mick Lynch confirmed walkouts will go ahead today, on Thursday and Saturday.

Network Rail officially offered the RMT a 2 per cent pay rise with ‘no strings attached’ and a further 1 per cent later in the year if certain efficiency targets were met.

It is understood the rise could have been as much as 5 per cent if the union was willing to accept further modernisation of working practices, such as technology being used more to detect potential faults on the network.

Intense negotiations continued last night, with a source suggesting a deal to avert Thursday’s and Saturday’s walkouts was still possible. They said: ‘It ain’t over until the fat lady sings. They wouldn’t be coming back, especially at this 11th hour, if we weren’t getting closer, and we are getting closer – it’s just not enough on either side yet to have a good enough package to avert the strikes at this point.’

The RMT is understood to want a pay increase of at least 7.1 per cent, and a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.

Last night Mr Lynch did not rule out strikes going on for longer than the infamous Southern Rail dispute, which ended after 18 months in 2017, raising the prospect of similar walkouts for months. He said: ‘It will go on until somebody offers us a deal that we can accept and we can put to our members and they vote for it in a referendum.’

He dodged the question of whether it was fair for taxpayers to stump up the extra cash to fund the union’s pay demands, adding: ‘Faced with such an aggressive agenda of cuts to jobs, conditions, pay and pensions, the RMT has no choice but to defend our members industrially.’

But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps hit back, saying: ‘By carrying out this action, the RMT is punishing millions of innocent people, instead of calmly discussing the sensible and necessary reforms we need to make in order to protect our rail network.’  

He added: ‘We are now on the cusp of major disruption which will cause misery for people right across the country. Many people who do not get paid if they can’t get to work face losing money at a time they simply can’t afford to. Children sitting exams will face the extra distraction of changing their travel plans.

‘And vulnerable people trying to attend long-awaited hospital appointments may have no choice but to cancel.’

Ministers want the railways to make around £2 billion in savings after bailing out the industry to the tune of £16 billion during the pandemic – the equivalent of £600 per household. They also point out that the median salary for rail workers is already £44,000, well above the national average.

Business chiefs said the strikes ‘could not come at a worse time’ for firms hoping for a summer bounce following the damage caused by Covid.

Ros Morgan, chief executive of the Heart of London Business Alliance, said: ‘The rail and Tube strikes will impose another lockdown on the West End at a time when central London’s economy needs all the support it can get.’

Trade body UKHospitality warned the cost to the industry could top £1 billion this week alone as pubs, bars and restaurants are hit, along with other leisure and tourist activities such as theatres. Boss Kate Nicholls said: ‘The planned strike action couldn’t come at a worse time, and might deliver a fatal financial blow to those businesses already struggling to survive.’   

The boss of the British Beer and Pub Association, Emma McClarkin, said the strikes posed a ‘serious threat’ to the industry and could stop staff getting to work and customers being able to get to venues.

As Labour MPs said they would join striking workers, the unions reacted with fury at reports the party has banned its frontbenchers from picket lines.

A leaked memo from Sir Keir Starmer’s office said Shadow Cabinet members ‘should not be on picket lines’.

Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, said: ‘We expect Labour MPs to defend workers, by words and by actions. To instruct Labour MPs not to be on picket lines with workers speaks volumes. You don’t lead by hiding. No-one respects that. It’s time to decide whose side you are on. Workers or bad bosses?’

Around half of the rail network will be shut today, on Thursday and Saturday, with many rural areas completely cut off.

Overall, only one in five services will run as 40,000 RMT members for Network Rail and 13 train companies covering most of the country walk out.

Inter-city services, such as on the East Coast and West Coast main lines, could see service levels of up to 50 per cent. Due to the shift patterns of critical railway staff, such as signallers, only 60 to 70 per cent of services will run on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday due to the knock-on effects from strike days.   

What dates are the rail strikes taking place?

A national rail strike is planned by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union for tomorrow (June 21), Thursday (June 23) and Saturday (June 25) which will affect the entire UK rail network. It is going ahead as it stands.

The action will involve members of the RMT at Network Rail and 13 operators. It will also have a knock-on effort on services on the three days after each strike day - Wednesday (June 22), Friday (June 24) and Sunday (June 26).

Separately, another strike is planned by the RMT and Unite on London Underground tomorrow (June 21) which will affect services until 8am on Wednesday (June 22). Most Underground services should be unaffected after then. 

There is also a strike by Aslef on Greater Anglia trains on Thursday (June 23) and Croydon Tramlink on June 28 and June 29, and on July 13 and July 14). An Aslef strike on Hull Trains on Sunday (June 26) has been called off.

Will any services will be affected tonight by the rail strike?

Most UK rail services will be running until the end of normal service this evening, although there are some exceptions and there could be last-minute disruption - so check with your operator before travelling tonight.

This afternoon's 5.30pm Grand Central service from Sunderland to London Kings Cross is thought to be the first train cancelled due to this strike across the UK network. Also axed is tonight's 7.50pm Caledonian Sleeper service from Fort William to London Euston. In addition, Heathrow Express has cancelled some trains tonight after 11pm.

Which UK operators are affected by the rail strike?

Just 20 per cent of normal services are expected to run on the three strike days. Every UK rail operator will be affected by the action, with most running a limited service between 7.30am and 6.30pm on these days. 

These operators running a limited service on the strike days are: Avanti West Coast, c2c, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Eurostar, Grand Central, Great Northern, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, Heathrow Express, Hull Trains, LNER, London Northwestern Railway, Lumo, Northern, ScotRail, South Western Railway, Southeastern, Southern, Stansted Express, Thameslink, TransPennine Express, Transport for Greater Manchester, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Railway.

Three operators say they will have no service on strike days – those being Gatwick Express, Caledonian Sleeper and Merseyrail. The only unaffected area is the Isle of Wight where the Island Line will run a normal service.

In London, the national rail strike means there will be a reduced service on the Overground and Elizabeth line on the three strike days. And the separate Tube strike tomorrow will likely cancel all Underground trains that day. 

Why is the rail strike taking place?

The strikes involve a row over pay, jobs and conditions. The RMT wants pay rises for workers that recognise the RPI rate of inflation, which is currently 11.1 per cent, and a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.

The union has claimed that Network Rail plans to cut jobs and reduce spending – with an impact on safety. It says that it is striking 'due to the inability of the rail employers to come to a negotiated settlement with RMT'. 

The RMT claims Network Rail and train operators have 'subjected their staff to multi-year pay freezes and plan to cut thousands of jobs', while also accusing the Government of 'abjectly failing in their responsibilities'.

But Network Rail and the Government say the union is unwilling to modernise work practices. Despite a pay freeze in 2021 – during the height of the pandemic – Network Rail has offered a rise of at least 2 per cent for 2022.

The context of the dispute is that railway bosses are proposing to make efficiency savings, especially as fewer passengers are travelling by train because of the pandemic, which has led to more people working from home. 

The Government is not involved in negotiations. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it is up to the unions and employers to negotiate pay and conditions, but Labour and the unions believe he should be taking part in talks. 

How much do train drivers get paid?

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said last week that train drivers have a median salary of £59,000 – compared to a nurse at £31,000 and a care worker at £21,000. He said the median salary within the rail sector as a whole is £44,000. However the RMT says the median salary of a rail member in its union is £31,000 - the same as a nurse.

Are more rail strikes planned after this week? 

Yes, there is the prospect of further strike action affecting the school summer holidays - and further warnings of more walkouts for the rest of the year if no deal is reached between the unions, rail operators and Network Rail.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) is balloting workers at Network Rail, Southeastern, Great Western Railway, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast, Northern, LNER and c2c.

The Southeastern ballot closes on July 11 with the earliest possible action on July 25; while the Great Western Railway ends on July 12 before any action takes place from July 26. CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway and West Midlands Trains staff will be balloted for action until July 7, but no potential date for strike action has yet been set. 

Workers at c2c, LNER and Northern will be balloted until July 6, with the earliest potential date for strike action being July 20. The Avanti West Coast ballot began last Wednesday but no date for a walkout has been released.

In addition, RMT union boss Mick Lynch yesterday suggested the rail strikes could stretch into the autumn, warning: 'There are going to be many unions balloting across the country, because people can't take it anymore.'

Unite is balloting about 500 British Airways check-in staff at Heathrow Airport over a refusal to reverse a 10 per cent pandemic pay cut. If workers vote in favour, strikes are likely in July – potentially ruining summer holidays.

Can you work from home this week during the rail strike?

Lauren Harkin, partner in the employment law team at RWK Goodman, told the publication People Management that employers should try to accommodate reasonable requests by staff trying to get into work during the strikes – including allowing them to come in late or leave early, and fund overnight accommodation if necessary.

She said: 'Don't unreasonably discipline employees who are genuinely unable to make it to work or who are late. There are no legal requirements about what businesses must do, but thinking outside the box will be a key consideration for critical staff in certain industries.'

And Alan Price, chief executive of BrightHR, said companies should speak with workers and agree alternative arrangements, adding: 'Where this isn't possible, there is the option of enforcing annual leave – with correct notice – or asking staff to use accrued time off in lieu.'

Downing Street has said employers should allow staff to work from home during the strikes if possible, but that it is up to individuals to decide whether they can get in. A spokesman said: 'As during the pandemic, it obviously remains sensible for public and private-sector organisations to offer flexible working arrangements for some jobs.'

Train operators such as Govia Thameslink Railway - which manages Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express routes - have encouraged passengers to stay at home and only travel if 'absolutely necessary'. A GTR spokesman said: 'The pandemic has given people more options to work flexibly, which will help next week.'

Can I get a refund on my train ticket during the rail strike?

National Rail has confirmed that anyone who had booked a ticket for a service which has been cancelled, delayed or rescheduled will be entitled to a change or refund from the original retailer of their ticket.

If you have a ticket for travel on a strike day, you can use this ticket either on the day before the date on the ticket, or through and including the Monday and Tuesday of next week - excluding season tickets.

However, National Rail has warned of an exception in that if your ticket is for a journey that crosses London, it will not be valid on Underground services on an alternative date. Contact your ticket provider if this applies to you.

You may be able to use your ticket on another train company or an alternative route as disruption continues, with passengers advised to contact the train company they are due to travel with for more information.

Can season ticket holders get a refund for rail strike disruption?

Season ticket holders who choose not to travel on the three strike days can claim 100 per cent compensation for these days through the 'Delay Repay' scheme via the operator you were due to be travelling with.

​​​If you have purchased a season ticket but would like a full refund due to the strike action affecting your journey, you can apply for a refund from the original retailer of your ticket, but a fee of up to £10 could apply.

National Rail added: 'Refunds are calculated from the date you return your season ticket to the original retailer and will be the difference between the price you paid, and the cost of any ticket or tickets for the period for which you have used your season ticket, up to and including the date you request a refund.'

How will the rail strike impact the economy? 

The Centre for Economics and Business Research consultancy has calculated that 0.8 per cent of staff in Britain – more than 250,000 people – will not be able to get to work tomorrow and therefore be unable to work. 

It estimates that the strikes are likely to cost the economy at least £91million in staff absences. Some £45.1million  of this will be tomorrow, because of the greater number of commuters then and the separate Tube strike. 

How will the rail strike impact Glastonbury and other events?

More than half of the trains due to serve the Glastonbury Festival have been cancelled because of the rail strikes – with tens of thousands of revellers set to be forced to find alternative routes to the site in Pilton, Somerset.

There will be just five services from London Paddington to Castle Cary on Thursday, with a total of 24 between Wednesday and Friday. Before the strike was announced, 51 trains were expected to run over the three-day period.

Great Western Railway told passengers: 'We plan to maintain timetabled trains between Castle Cary and London Paddington throughout the course of the Glastonbury Festival. Some services might be subject to alterations to train times and we will be in contact with customers who have already booked seats on board those trains.'

National Express reported 'a significant increase in both inquiries and bookings' for people wanting to travel by coach instead. Most people travelling by rail to Glastonbury arrive at Castle Cary before catching a shuttle bus.

Other events affected this week include England's cricketers playing their third Test match against New Zealand at Headingley in Leeds from June 23 to 27, and the UK Athletics Championships running from Friday in Manchester.

There will also be by-elections in Wakefield and in Tiverton and Honiton on Thursday, while Elton John and the Rolling Stones are playing BST Hyde Park gigs in London's Hyde Park on Friday and Saturday respectively.  

How will roads be affected by the rail strike?

Motorists are being warned to expect a surge in traffic as train passengers switch to road transport. The AA said that the worst affected roads are likely to be main motorway arteries, as well as rural and suburban areas.

Drivers in Scotland and Wales are expected to face long queues as most railway lines there will be closed during the industrial action tomorrow and on Thursday and Saturday. The M74, M8 and A9 in Scotland and the M4, A55, A5, and A483 in Wales could see severe traffic, according to the AA. 

An AA spokesman said: 'Generally we predict a big increase in traffic in Scotland, Wales and major routes across the UK. The impact will be slightly cushioned by record fuel prices deterring some and more commuters deciding to work from home but congestion will still be a problem.'

How will the rail strike impact the NHS?

Thousands of Britons are likely to miss appointments or operations because they will be unable to get to hospitals and surgeries, while the walkouts will also cause problems for doctors, nurses and other staff travelling to work.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said it was 'vital' that people sought appointments and treatment despite the disruption, adding: 'I am urging those who have appointments booked in to plan ahead and look at alternative options for getting to their GP practice or hospital if needed.'

The biggest concern is for hospitals in London because of the limited parking available for those who decide to drive in, and the Underground strike tomorrow making it even harder to travel. Both London Ambulance Service Trust and South Central Ambulance Service Foundation Trust are now on the highest level of alert.

How will schools be affected by the rail strike?

Families of pupils sitting exams this week have been advised to make alternative arrangements for getting to school during the rail strikes, which are expected to impact 17 GCSE and 22 A-level papers.

Tomorrow, pupils sitting GCSE history or dance with exam board AQA may be impacted by the strikes, while on Thursday those sitting GCSE physics papers could be affected. A-level pupils studying German, religious studies or maths with this board could be impacted by strike action tomorrow, while pupils sitting papers in A-level chemistry could experience disruptions to their journey to school on Thursday.

Headteachers have said families should look into alternative arrangements for getting their children to school to sit papers on time. Julie McCulloch, of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: 'We are concerned about the potential impact on exam students of the industrial action affecting train services planned in June.

'The majority of students live local to schools and colleges and tend to take buses rather than trains so we are hopeful that the impact will be minimal. However, it is important that families are conscious of the industrial action and make alternative arrangements where students are reliant on train services.'

Headteachers have been told to relocate A-level and GCSE papers if they cannot go ahead in the exam hall and that exams may begin up to half an hour later than scheduled to mitigate disruption.

What train services are running during the rail strike this week?

Avanti West Coast

Avanti West Coast, which runs on the West Coast Main Line, says it plans to have one train per hour from London Euston to each of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Preston, with a limited service onwards to Glasgow.

These trains will operate during limited hours, with the first train of the day departing Euston just before 8am and the last train of the day from Euston departing mid-afternoon. The days either side of industrial action are also likely to be affected – particularly in the mornings, because services will start later.

There will be no Avanti West Coast services to North Wales, Shrewsbury, Blackpool and Edinburgh on strike days. Trains will not call at Stockport, Macclesfield, Stoke-on-Trent or Runcorn, which will all be closed.

c2c 

On the c2c route, which runs between London and Essex, the operator will be running a reduced service from 7.30am to 6.30pm, equating to less than a third of normal service levels. This will consist of:

Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness via Laindon: Two trains per hour  Fenchurch Street to Pitsea via Rainham: Two trains per hour Ockendon or Chafford Hundred: No trains

The operator added that the days surrounding the strike action dates will also see disruption across its network, with 'services set to start running from around 6.30am with a full service planned to be in operation by 8am'. 

Caledonian Sleeper

All services on the overnight Caledonian Sleeper have been cancelled from today until Friday. The 7.50pm service tonight from Fort William to London Euston is the first of the operator's trains to be cancelled by the strike. 

Chiltern Railways

Chiltern Railways will run a 'very significantly reduced timetable' from Tuesday until Saturday, and services will finish earlier tonight and start later on Sunday. In addition, services will be unable to call at stations operated by London Underground on Tuesday due to the separate Tube strike.

The service will be extremely limited, with the following service pattern from Tuesday to Saturday:

Between Banbury - Birmingham: No trains in either direction Between London - Banbury: One train per hour in each direction Between London - Oxford: No trains in either direction Between London - Aylesbury via High Wycombe: One train per hour in each direction Between Aylesbury - Amersham: One train per hour in each direction (except Tuesday 21st June when there will be no service on this route) Between London – Aylesbury via Amersham (Metropolitan line): No trains in either direction.

There will be no Chiltern services north of Banbury, between Amersham and London on the Metropolitan line, or to Oxford, between Tuesday and Saturday. 

Services that do run will start much later and finish much earlier than normal. The service will start from around 7.30am, with morning trains not arriving in London until after 9am. In the afternoon, the last trains will be much earlier than normal, with the last trains from Marylebone running at the following times:

15:10 to Banbury 16:10 to Bicester North 16:45 to Aylesbury Vale Parkway via High Wycombe

CrossCountry

CrossCountry will run a significantly reduced service on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Days either side of the industrial action are also expected to be affected. Here are the route details for the three strike days:

Plymouth to Bristol Parkway: Limited service Southampton Central to Manchester Piccadilly: Limited service Birmingham New Street to Leicester: Limited service Birmingham New Street to Edinburgh: Limited service Birmingham New Street to Bristol or Cardiff Central: No service  Plymouth to Penzance: No service Southampton Central to Bournemouth: No service Leicester to Stansted Airport: No service Nottingham to Derby: No service Stockport to Stoke-on-Trent: No service  Edinburgh to Glasgow Central or Aberdeen: No service