British railway workers to go on strike from October 1

Agencies | London

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

British railway workers from Network Rail and 14 train operating companies will take strike action on Oct. 1 in a dispute over pay, job security and working conditions, a union said on Tuesday.

The RMT trade union said the 24-hour strike action would "bring the railway to an effective standstill". It comes after receiving no further offers from the industry to arrive at a negotiated settlement, the union added. This month's walkouts in a long-running pay dispute were postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth. 

he country has faced strikes by workers across a number of sectors, but most unions put action on hold after news of the monarch's death a week ago.

Soaring inflation and stagnant wages have left workers disgruntled at a time when the price of everything from fuel to food has risen due in part to the war in Ukraine.

Britain's rail network suffered major disruption on several days in June and July when 40,000 rail workers walked out in the country's biggest railway strike in three decades.

"This morning we have been notified by the ASLEF trade union of further days of strike action on Saturday 1 October and Wednesday 5 October. We have suspended ticket bookings for these dates," said David Horne, Managing Director of London North Eastern Railway. 

PA Media reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources, that train drivers at 12 rail companies were due to strike on Oct. 1 and 5. The governing Conservative Party is due to hold its annual conference in Birmingham in central England Oct. 2-5.