Two
24-hour
RMT
walkouts
at
most
English
train
operators
are
set
to
go
ahead
on
Thursday
and
Saturday
this
week,


after
talks
arranged
between
the
Rail
Delivery
Group
and
the
union
before
the
weekend
appeared
to
make
little
progress.




The
sticking
points
are
pay
and
‘modernisation’,
which
the
RMT
fears
could
mean
the
mass
closure
of
ticket
offices.

However,
the
union
has
called
a
ballot
of
its
Network
Rail
members
after
a
new
offer
was
received.
The
RMT
National
Executive
is
making
no
recommendations
to
its
members
about
whether
they
should
accept
or
reject
the
offer,
but
industrial
action
on
Network
Rail
has
been
suspended,
at
least
for
the
time
being,
which
should
mean
that
this
week’s
strikes
at
train
operators
may
be
slightly
less
disruptive
than
in
the
past,
because
signallers
should
be
working
normally.

The
Network
Rail
ballot
closes
on
20
March.

Further
strikes
affecting
the
operators
have
been
called
for
30
March
and
1
April,
unless
the
negotiations
succeed
before
then.

Meanwhile,
London
Underground
services
will
also
be
disrupted
on
Wednesday
this
week,
when
ASLEF
and
RMT
members
walk
out
for
24
hours
in
a
dispute
which
ASLEF
claims
has
been
caused
by
‘management’s
failure
to
accept
that
changes
to
our
working
arrangements
and
pensions
should
only
happen
by
agreement’.
The
RMT
is
particularly
unhappy
about
job
losses
at
stations
and
what
it
sees
as
the
possibility
of
‘attacks
on
pensions
or
ripping
up
agreements’.

ASLEF’s
Undeground
organiser
Finn
Brennan
said:
‘We
understand
that
TfL
faces
financial
challenges,
post-pandemic,
but
our
members
are
simply
not
prepared
to
pay
the
price
for
the
government’s
failure
to
properly
fund
London’s
public
transport
system.

‘Cuts
to
safety
training
have
already
been
forced
through
and
management
is
open
that
they
plan
to
remove
all
current
working
agreements
under
the
guise
of
“modernisation”
and
“flexibility”
and
to
replace
the
agreed
attendance
and
discipline
policies.
Proposals
to
slash
pension
benefits
are
due
to
be
announced
in
the
next
week.’

Transport
for
London’s
chief
operating
officer
Glynn
Barton
said:
‘ASLEF
and
the
RMT
are
planning
strike
action
on
the
London
Underground
on
Wednesday
15
March. Strikes
are
bad
news
for
everyone
and
we are
encouraging
them
to
withdraw
this
action
and
continue
to
engage
with
us
to
avoid
disruption
to
our
customers.

‘Our
advice
for
our
customers
is
clear;
please
check
before
you
travel
as
strike
action
impacts
varying
services
throughout
the
week.
Expect
services
to
be
busy
and
please
allow
extra
time
to
complete
your
journeys.’

The
strikes
in
London
on
Wednesday
will
affect
Underground
lines,
but
services
on
London
Overground,
the
Elizabeth
Line,
the
Docklands
Light
Railway
and
tram
routes
are
not
expected
to
be
disrupted.
On
Thursday
and
Saturday
TfL
said
the
walkouts
on
National
Rail
may
cause
problems
on
those
sections
of
the
Underground,
the
Elizabeth
Line
and
London
Overground
which
use
Network
Rail
tracks.

TfL
added:
‘This
action
on
London
Underground
comes
following
the
government’s
mandated
review
into
TfL’s
pensions
scheme
and
despite
the
fact
that
no
proposals
have
been
tabled
on
pensions. If
any
proposal
is
made
in
the
future
this
would
require
appropriate
consultation
and
extensive
further
work.’