Mass railway workers strike hits UK over pay and working conditions

More than 20,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union working for 14 rail companies went on strike over pay and working conditions.

In a statement on Saturday, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "Train companies invest little or nothing in our railways and make completely unjustifiable profits which they squirrel away in shareholder dividends and bosses pay packets."

"It is a scandal that the travelling public is being ripped off by greedy rail privateers while at the same time, the government oversees a corrupt system and prolongs a rail dispute for political reasons," he added.

The RMT members also took industrial action on Thursday, and plan for another strike on July 29, as rail bosses announced more than 2,000 job cuts and the closure of 1,000 ticket offices in the country.

The National Rail warned the passengers of significant disruption, saying they should expect large areas of the rail network to have little or no services.

Disputes continue

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: "I am proud of our members for showing such fortitude and resolve in this long-running dispute. Our members and our union will not be cowed by rail bosses or government ministers and our dispute will continue until we can reach a negotiated settlement.”

The union said further strike action is planned for July 22 and 29.

British commuters are set to face further disruptions in the coming days.

Drivers, who are the members of Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF), are not working overtime at 15 train companies between July 17 and 22.

ASLEF’s action is not a full strike but could cause some reduced timetables and last-minute cancellations.

The railway strikes commenced in June 2022 after RMT members walked out over wages and planned changes to working practices.

The disputes in Scotland and Wales were resolved by the RMT in December 2022, and by ASLEF in May 2023, while the dispute in England continues to this day.