London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 08, 2026

Travel trouble: Rail, bus and highways workers strike as pay disputes continue

Travel trouble: Rail, bus and highways workers strike as pay disputes continue

The latest strikes come just a day after nurses walked out for the first time - the latest episode in a winter of woe for the government.

Parts of the UK are facing more travel trouble with rail, bus and highways workers walking off the job today in the continuing dispute over pay and conditions.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will begin another 48-hour strike, after talks failed to make progress on Thursday.

The RMT said "further discussions" had been agreed but "in the meantime, all industrial action remains in place".

The union is involved in two disputes - one with Network Rail, where it represents around 20,000 signallers and maintenance workers, and the other with the Rail Delivery Group, where it represents about 20,000 workers at 14 train companies.

Members of both groups will strike today and tomorrow, and then on 3-4 January and 6-7 January, with RMT members at Network Rail also striking from 6.30pm on Christmas Eve until 6am on 27 December.

TSSA (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association) members at Network Rail voted on Thursday to accept a pay offer, but members at Avanti West Coast will continue with their strike action today.

Passengers across the rail network have been warned not to travel.

Meanwhile, bus drivers employed by Abellio in south and west London will strike today and tomorrow as part of their dispute over pay.

Their union - Unite - said Abellio has failed to enter into "meaningful pay talks" about salary increases and that its members are among the lowest paid in London.

Their colleagues at Metroline in north and west London had been due to strike today but they accepted an offer earlier this month - an 11% pay rise with a 10% increase on back pay.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union who work for National Highways will walk out in the North West, North East and Yorkshire today, with other parts of the country to be affected in coming weeks.



The PCS said the workers plan, design, build, operate and maintain the country's roads and that the strikes risk bringing the network to a "standstill".

Their dispute is over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms.

National Highways said around 125 out of 1,500 frontline operational staff would be taking part in the strikes, which it said was between 10 and 25 people per region.

It said: "We're working to ensure that any industrial action will not affect road users' experience and are confident that the impact of the strikes will be managed."

Rail, bus and highways workers are among hundreds of thousands of workers striking this winter, as inflation and other cost-of-living pressures leave pay behind.

Also on strike today are more than 900 staff who work at the Rural Payments Agency, DVSA staff in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and Eurostar security guards.

A strike planned for today by ground handlers employed by Menzies at Heathrow Airport has been called off, however.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
English Councils Push Government to Rethink Proposed Funding Cuts
Scottish Homebuilding Falls to Lowest Level in 11 Years
BBC Chief Matt Brittin Defends Restructuring as Staff Challenge Job Cuts
UK Finance Warns High Energy Costs and Bond Yields Are Complicating Fiscal Outlook
UK Adopts All 44 Recommendations on Regulating AI in Healthcare
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Autumn Budget as Borrowing Costs Strain Public Finances
UK Investigators See Strong Indications of Iranian Link After RAF Fairford Security Operation
Laura Trott Pledges Tighter Controls on Political Activism in UK Classrooms
Welsh Ministers Launch Long-Term Review of North Wales and Anglesey Crossings
Welsh Government Orders 18-Month Study of Road Solutions Around Newport
Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin Faces Scrutiny Over £800,000 Second Home Purchase
British Households Grow More Concerned About Fuel and Energy Prices
NHS Leaders Warn of Rising Winter Pressure on Emergency Departments
Kemi Badenoch Proposes £2.3 Billion Employer National Insurance Cut for Young Workers
Middle East Conflict Could Erase UK Fiscal Headroom, Economists Warn
Manchester City Found Guilty of Multiple Premier League Financial Rule Breaches
UK Security Services Find Strong Indications of Iranian Role in RAF Fairford Incident
Costa Coffee Returns to Operating Profit on Iced Drinks and Menu Changes
Asos Warns Customers After Unauthorized Access to Retail App and Data
Kemi Badenoch Puts Growth and Deregulation at Center of Conservative Conference
Campaigners Warn of Deepening Social Care Crisis for Disabled Adults
Study Finds Rising Early-Onset Cancer Rates Among Adults Under 50 in Britain
UK Coach Operators Warn High Diesel Prices Could Force Route Cuts
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein-Linked Whistleblower Case
Argentina Vows to Block Falkland Islands Offshore Oil Development
UK Chancellor Prepares Fiscal Measures and Welfare Reforms Ahead of Autumn Budget
Sainsbury’s and Morrisons Explore Potential Multi-Billion-Pound Merger
UK Weighs Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles to Align With European Union
UK Threatens Diplomatic Expulsions Over Planned Closure of East Jerusalem Consulate
UK Energy Price Cap Hits Three-Year High as Middle East Conflict Raises Costs
Seventh Arrest Made in Suspected Terror Plot at RAF Fairford
Systemic Education Collapse Sparks Mass Student Uprisings in France
Green Party Faces Backlash Over Resolution Equating Zionism With Racism
Conservatives Debate Scrapping Environmental Rules for New Homes
Cornwall Insight Warns UK Energy Bills Could Approach £2,000 This Winter
UK Coach Operators Warn of Service Cuts as Diesel Prices Exceed £2
Scottish Parliament Approves £68 Billion Budget With New Tax and Property Measures
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein Whistleblower
UK Government Drops Plan to Suspend Jury Trials in England and Wales
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Markets Watch November
Two Iranian Nationals Charged Over Alleged Plot Targeting Manchester Jewish Community
UK Fiscal Headroom Halves to £11 Billion Ahead of Budget, EY Warns
US Bomber Withdrawal From RAF Fairford Prompts UK Security Review
Sarah Wakfer Appointed Chair of Northern Ireland’s Health and Care Regulator
Scotland Housing Completions Fall to 11-Year Low Amid National Shortage
UK Water Companies Face Tougher Oversight and Unannounced Regulatory Inspections
Middle East Conflict Pushes UK Fuel and Wholesale Energy Prices Higher
Andy Burnham Raises Prospect of Second Brexit Referendum in Review of UK-EU Relations
EY Warns UK Fiscal Headroom Has Halved to £11 Billion Ahead of Autumn Budget
BT Accused of Pressuring Vulnerable Customers During Digital Landline Shift
×