London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Six further train companies will strike over jobs, pay and conditions

Six further train companies will strike over jobs, pay and conditions

December 17 strike announced for six more train operating companies
TSSA has served notice for strikes in a further six train operating companies and Network Rail just hours after meetings with a government minister in the long-running dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) union said thousands of its members will walk out on December 17 alongside a campaign of other forms of industrial action across a dozen companies.

Further industrial action over the Christmas and new year period is being actively considered, the TSSA said.

The TSSA has already announced strikes on December 17 at Avanti West Coast and c2c.

But the latest move affects Cross Country, East Midlands Railway, some Network Rail staff, Southeastern, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains.

The notice of strike action follows four weeks of intensive talks which the union said failed to produce a written offer on pay and conditions from industry bodies.

The notification comes just hours after the union, along with the RMT union, held separate talks with rail minister Huw Merriman.

Luke Chester, TSSA organising director, said: "Our members are fed up of being treated with contempt by employers and government alike.

“We've sat through hundreds of hours of talks and have moved mountains to make progress on modernisation details, staffing and jobs.

“But still there is no offer in writing and nothing whatsoever on pay, despite inflation biting our members hard.

“We understand it is only the Government withholding authority that's standing in the way of an offer being put in writing. If strikes go ahead this Christmas, the blame lies entirely with the Tory Government.

“This strike action is an exasperated last resort but unless there's an offer made it won't be the last. It's meant to be the season of goodwill but there's very little being shown by the Government and it's running out fast on our side."

Members of the union working in a variety of management and operational and support roles will be involved in the strike on December 17.

The union also announced Friday it would ballot its members on the Elizabeth line for strike action in a dispute over pay. It is not yet clear when a strike, if approved by members, would take place.

The Unite union also said its members employed by Network Rail in electric control rooms will join workers at other rail unions in taking industrial action.

Their members will strike on six days in December and three in January.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "It is totally unforgivable that the Government thinks it is acceptable to implement a three-year pay freeze on our members who play a critical role in keeping the rail network operating.

"That this is occurring during the worst cost-of-living crisis in living memory doubles the injustice our members are experiencing."

Mr Merriman said: “This morning's meeting with the RMT, Network Rail and the Rail Delivery Group was a constructive and open conversation about the challenges facing our railways.

“I was clear that the parties should work towards creating a modern and financially sustainable railway which provides value for money for all passengers and taxpayers.

“Everyone agreed to continue talking to try and resolve these long-standing issues and bring an end to this dispute."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×