Millions face fourth day of rail misery despite NO strikes today

Strike misery continued for millions today despite the second national walkout on the railways ending at midnight as unions warned more industrial action is ‘extremely likely’ if there is no bumper pay rise for their workers.

Talks between the RMT Union and rail bosses continue to fail with another strike certain to go ahead tomorrow in six days of carnage for commuters this week that put Britain into a de facto lockdown predicted to cost the economy at least £540million this week.

Union barons have vowed to wreck the summer holiday plans of millions after British Airways staff voted to strike and the Commonwealth Games became a target for walkouts. 

And yet again people were struggling to get to work today because of emergency timetables on the railways and delays and closures on some key Tube lines despite no walkout since Tuesday. There were long queues for buses in London and people waiting to get the train with many stations not opening before 7.30am.

In more bad news there were no trains from Edinburgh into England via the east coast mainline after a lorry fell on to the tracks between the Scottish capital and Dunbar. 

Union leader Mick Lynch has said that strikers will ‘take a pause next week and consider everything’ as the rail union boss predicted that managers and drivers will be joining the walkouts soon. 

‘We’re going to take a pause next week and consider everything. There are other people that are balloting in this industry, the TSSA, the managers’ union, which shows you where the situation is, if the managers are going to go on strike and then we might have more drivers coming into the dispute through separate ballots. So, that is going to escalate,’ the general-secretary of RMT told Sky News.  

More than 1,200 Heathrow check-in and ground-handling staff voted for industrial action yesterday in a row over pay. The GMB and Unite unions are expected to set strike dates for around July 22, when the school summer holidays begin.

They vowed only to call off the action, which threatens to ground hundreds of flights, if BA meets their demands within a week or so.

It comes as more than 90% of office workers in London were forced to WFH on the first day of rail strikes, as the RMT unleashed more travel chaos across Britain today.

The average office occupancy in the capital was just 9% on Tuesday compared with 42% per cent last week – lower even than during the peak of December’s Omicron scare. 

Occupancy levels yesterday rose to 23%, according to data from technology company Freespace shared with MailOnline. Across the UK, the average occupancy was 22%, just over half of the normal rate of 40%. Before the pandemic, average office occupancy nation-wide was around 60%.

Broadband provider Virgin Media O2 said it recorded an increase in usage of up to 10% on the first day of the strikes, indicating that ‘millions more people are working from home’ this week. 

The fresh data demonstrates that militant Lynch has dealt a crippling blow to Boris Johnson’s anti-WFH drive by effectively plunging Britain back into ‘another lockdown’.  

Today’s mass walkout is also likely to inflict another devastating blow to the UK’s flailing economy, with experts warning that the strike action could clobber the beleaguered hospitality sector by £500million this week alone. The Night-Time Industries Association has today warned that businesses are suffering up to 40% lost trade due to the strikes. 

Comparing it to the darkest days of the Covid shutdowns, chief executive Michael Kill said: ‘Long-term strike action will lead to an irreparable loss of business and jobs, after so much hard work has been put into recovery in the last 12 months.’

This morning, King’s Cross/St Pancras, Manchester Piccadilly, Liverpool Street station and Newcastle Central were all deserted as people were again forced to WFH. 

Traffic congestion on London’s roads increased during rush hour today, and was actually higher between 8am and 9am compared to last week, at 83% between 8am and 9am this morning versus 75% during the same hour last Tuesday, according to data from traffic analyst TomTom. There were 1,930 traffic jams in London, covering a total length of 830 miles. However, it was still significantly up on 48% on Monday, the day before the industrial action began. And it was also an increase on the 52% recorded in that time slot on Tuesday last week.

Just 20% of trains are running today, with rail lines will only be open between 7.30am and 6.30pm today. Members of the drivers’ union Aslef on Greater Anglia are also striking today in a separate dispute over pay. Though Tube workers are not on strike today, this morning there are delays and part suspensions on the Bakerloo, Elizabeth and Hammersmith & City Lines and the Overground.

RMT members have gone on picket lines in cities across the country including Bristol, Nottingham, Manchester and Leeds. In Sheffield, they were even joined by Thatcher’s arch-rival Arthur Scargill, the former boss of the National Union of Mineworkers who unleashed a series of miners strikes during the mid-1980s to prevent the closure of uneconomic pits. 

Britons are now being warned to brace for potential strikes in two weeks after socialist firebrand Lynch threatened to ‘continue with our industrial campaign until we get a negotiated settlement’. The RMT’s National Executive Committee can announce further strike dates with just two weeks’ notice. Network Rail is expecting a decision on new strike dates to be made as early as next week. Whitehall and railway officials fear the next wave could begin on July 9 in a blow to summer holidaymakers. 

Ministers fear Britain could face a summer of strikes as unions flex their muscles in pursuit of inflation-busting pay rises.

The National Education Union yesterday warned that schools could be next in line for strike action unless ministers stump up ‘inflation-plus pay increases for all teachers’. Unions representing doctors, nurses, civil servants and postal workers are also threatening industrial action over pay. Some have even demanded settlements 5% above inflation – which yesterday hit 9.1%.

It comes as the Government plots to rush forward new laws today which end the ban on using agency workers to break strikes.

Labour vowed to oppose the move last night, with deputy leader Angela Rayner describing it as a ‘recipe for disaster’.

However, Keir Starmer’s authority is ‘on the line’ after a string of Labour frontbenchers ignored the party whips and went on picket lines on Tuesday.

As the RMT tries to bring Britain to its knees, it emerged today: 

• Speaking from Rwanda, Boris Johnson called the strikes ‘unnecessary’ and a ‘terrible idea’, and stressed the benefits of ‘sensible reforms’ of the rail system;
• Teachers have threatened to go on strike this autumn if their pay demands are not met. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said such a move would be ‘unforgivable’, particularly after the disruption of the Covid lockdown;
• The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) announced that its workers are to vote on strikes next month – so the earliest that industrial action could be taken is July 27;
• Meanwhile the GMB union is today set to announce the results of a strike ballot of BA check-in and ground staff at Heathrow Airport for later this year. The move would ruin the summer holiday plans of millions of families;
• And the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents postal workers, could be among the next group of workers to strike for higher pay;
• Ministers will rush forward new anti-strike laws today as militant rail unions inflict misery on millions of travellers again;
• Keir Starmer’s authority is being tested after more Labour MPs today defied the party whips and joined picket lines with striking RMT members.

And this morning, Mick Whitley, the MP for Birkenhead, joined RMT members outside Liverpool Lime Street station as he blamed the Government for the strikes. Yesterday Boris Johnson slammed Sir Keir for refusing to condemn activists staging the biggest strike for 30 years.

Frances O’Grady, head of the TUC, also slammed the anti-strike laws as ‘unworkable’. She said: ‘Bringing in less qualified agency staff to deliver important services will endanger public safety, worsen disputes and poison industrial relations.’

RMT assistant general secretary Eddie Dempsey said he thinks ‘the public is behind us’.

He told the PA news agency: ‘They understand it’s a scandal that billions are being ripped out of our industry at the same time workers are being punished.

‘Teachers, they’re facing a cost-of-living crisis, (also) posties, telecoms workers, health workers. We think there’s going to be more demands for increases in pay in the economy and we think that’s right. It’s about time Britain had a pay rise. Wages have been falling for 30 years and corporate profits have been going through the roof.’

However, Elizabeth Line passengers faced fresh disruption on Thursday morning as vandalism forced the operator to close part of the track.

Commuters heading towards Shenfield will have to change at Liverpool Street for the Central Line, then back to the Elizabeth Line at Stratford to continue their journey.

‘Somebody threw something on the track between Stratford and Liverpool Street,’ one staff member said at Liverpool Street station. ‘I don’t know why, some people are just not OK.’

At Liverpool Lime Street station there were a handful of passengers waiting for trains this morning.

Just four trains were scheduled to depart from the usually busy terminal between 8.30am and 10am, two to London Euston and two to Alderley Edge in Cheshire, via Manchester.

Mr Whitley said: ‘I think every Labour MP should come out. Let’s have it right, the Labour Party was born out of the trade union movement and they are our political voice in Parliament so every Labour MP should be out.’

He said a pay deal reached with Merseyrail reinforced the argument that the Government was ‘manufacturing the dispute’.

‘We don’t want to mess up people’s travel arrangements but if you’re pushed into a corner you have got to do something,’ he added.

RMT regional council secretary Darren Pilling said the reaction to the picket line at Liverpool Lime Street station had been supportive.

He said: ‘Although we’re being told we are on our own and people don’t support our actions, people do understand exactly what this is all about because every one else is suffering just as much as we are. I stood here for eight hours on Tuesday and had nothing but support and praise from people.’

Mr Pilling said he believed the dispute could be resolved if the union was allowed to speak to managers without Government involvement.

He added: ‘I genuinely hope this is the last time we’ll be stood outside Liverpool Lime Street for a long time. I want to be going about my normal business. But, we will not meekly stand by and allow our members to be treated in such an abominable manner.’

Crowds of holidaymakers fretted about missing their flights as train delays left them stuck at London’s Liverpool Street station.

The Stansted Express normally leaves twice an hour from Britain’s third-busiest station, but strike action has reduced this down to one.

One man, who was returning to Sofia in Bulgaria after three days in London, complained in broken English that the experience was ‘stressful’.

Asked how much longer he expected to wait, the man – who had been stranded at the station for half an hour – said: ‘I don’t know, I’m just looking at the board, I hope not too long.I wouldn’t say it’s frustrating because I’m here on holidays, but it’s a bit stressful’.

RMT negotiators last night stormed out of talks to avert today’s strikes after Network Rail wrote a letter saying it was going ahead with 1,800 staff cuts.

The union, which is striking over jobs and pay, said it would not get back around the table unless the letter was withdrawn, sparking a furious stand-off. It means another 24-hour walkout on the railways will go ahead today, with another on Saturday looking almost certain. 

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch took aim at the Transport Secretary, saying: ‘Grant Shapps has wrecked these negotiations by not allowing Network Rail to withdraw their letter threatening redundancy for… our members.

‘Until the Government unshackles Network Rail and the train operating companies, it is not going to be possible for a negotiated settlement to be agreed.’

Mr Shapps branded Lynch a liar and called on the union to ‘stop wasting time’ and get back to the negotiating table.

The row came as it emerged the RMT was informally offered a rise of more than 3 per cent in return for modernised work practices.

Rail chiefs have accused union barons of holding the country to ransom over ‘archaic’ methods which see up to nine engineers sent just to ‘change a plug socket’.

Commuters faced more misery yesterday as union tactics meant only 60 per cent of services were able to run because of the knock-on from Tuesday’s strikes.

Huge crowds built up outside Tube and rail stations, with some opening as late as 8.30am during rush hour. Network Rail signallers and control room staff who would usually have worked overnight to make sure trains left on time yesterday missed their shifts after taking part in Tuesday’s strike.

Secondary legislation to scrap the ban on agency workers will be introduced today and is expected to take effect next month. Government sources acknowledge that some skilled roles, such as railway signallers, will be impossible to replace.

But they believe other vital roles, such as train dispatchers, could be carried out by agency staff. 

Like Tuesday’s walkout, under a fifth of trains will run today and only for 11 hours. Up to 50% of services will run on key inter-city routes.

Meanwhile, members of the drivers’ union Aslef on Greater Anglia will strike on Thursday in a separate dispute over pay.

The company, which is also affected by the RMT strike, advised passengers to travel only if it was necessary.

The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) announced that its members at Merseyrail had accepted a 7.1% pay offer.

General secretary Manuel Cortes said: ‘What this clearly shows is our union, and sister unions, are in no way a block on finding the solutions needed to avoid a summer of discontent on the railways.

‘Rather, it is the Government who are intent on digging in their heels. Grant Shapps would be wise to start talking seriously to our union as we ballot for industrial action on our railways up and down the land.’

A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson: ‘With passenger numbers still at only 80% of pre-pandemic levels the industry remains committed to giving a fair deal on pay while taking no more than its fair share from taxpayers.

‘We can only achieve that by making improvements – like offering better services on a Sunday – that reflect the changing needs of passengers so we can attract more back.

‘We call on the RMT leadership to continue to talk so that we can secure a thriving long-term future for the railway and its workforce.

‘Our advice to passengers remains the same, only travel by rail if absolutely necessary, check before you travel and make sure you know the time of your first and last trains.’

A Network Rail spokesperson said: ‘We are disappointed that the RMT have again chosen to walk away from negotiations without agreeing a deal. We remain available for talks – day or night – and will do everything we can to avoid further disruption for our passengers.

‘As a result of this needless and premature strike, rail services will look much like they did on Tuesday – starting later in the morning and finishing much earlier in the evening (around 6.30pm).

‘We are asking passengers to please check before you travel, be conscious of when your last available train is departing, and only travel by train if necessary.’