Starting gun fired on new British rail strikes

Talks between unions and rail bosses in Britain have broken down without agreement. The RMT (Rail, Transport and Maritime Union) has called for a fresh strike on Wednesday, 27 July. The formal notice was given on 13 July, meeting the legal requirement for two weeks’ notice. Media sources have made headlines with the fact that the strike comes just one day ahead of the opening of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where the main venue is served by its own station and relies heavily on public transport. Later in the day RMT also announced two strike days for 18 and 20 August. Another union, ASLEF announced their train-driving members would also walk out on 30 July.