UK Strikes outlook stormy with action called for March and April
The long running dispute in the British railway industry has flared up again with the announcement of a fresh round of strikes. The trades union RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport) has announced four days of...Read more
UK railway strikes over Christmas a fact, how is freight impacted?
The four-day strike by RMT union members is going to be no festive fun. The RMT union, which has been involved in the biggest and bitterest dispute the industry has seen in decades, is set...Read more
UK union rejects offer, rail strikes around Christmas likely
UK STRIKE UPDATEEmployers in the UK rail industry have tabled a draft framework agreement after several weeks of intensive talks. However, the Rail and Maritime Transport union (RMT) has rejected the offer, bringing the likelihood of industrial...Read more
UK transport policy in meltdown
Never mind the prime ministerial resignation. GBR could be scrapped. Strikes could be outlawed. Such is the febrile level of disarray in the UK government that not one, but two major transport policies, both worthy...Read more
UK strikes: union announces widespread November strikes and ballot for further action
The summer of discontent on the British railway network looks set to continue throughout the winter. In an escalation of action, the RMT trades union (Rail, Maritime and Transport) has just announced the most disruptive...Read moreBritain’s autumn strikes loom but signs of resolution in the air
The change of monarch is now complete. The changes at the head of government are underway. After a September hiatus, Britain is back to the reality of dealing with a cost of everything crisis, and...Read more
New UK Transport Secretary: You’ve got mail
With national events overtaking the cabinet reshuffle, the new UK transport secretary has still to have an appointed rail minister join her team at the Department for Transport. However, Anne-Marie Trevelyan is already a week...Read more
Still no clear route out of Britain’s rail disputes
Saturday in Britain passed off … quietly. Quietly, especially if you happened to be around London Euston or Birmingham New Street. Both of these major passenger terminals were completely closed. The latest strike on Britain’s...Read more
Surprise political casualty as new British rail strike announced
The state of industrial dispute that currently grips the British rail network has claimed a high-profile political casualty. Surprisingly – shockingly for some – the socialist opposition Labour Party sacked their shadow transport secretary Sam...Read moreStarting 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...Read more
UK Strike: Reconciliation recedes
The prospect for a resolution to the current rail dispute in Britain seems even further down the line. A deal is less likely now, at the end of a week of strike action. With the...Read more
Strike Day Two: British ports to take the first hit
UK transport secretary Grant Shapps is adamant that the strike on the railways of Great Britain will not lead to empty supermarket shelves or disrupted power station fuel deliveries. However, there is nothing good about...Read more
UK Strike Day One: Almost all out, almost all stop
Solidarity with the strike on the UK railway network has been very high on day one. The members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport trades union (RMT) have been picketing depots, signalling centres and stations...Read more
UK Strike: countdown to shutdown
The Great British Rail Strike is just one day away, and barring a turning of the tide that would impress even King Canute, the network is set to grind to a halt on Tuesday, and...Read more
Political heavyweights square off as strike is less than a week away
Political ideologies are taking sides in the phoney war before the first of series of one-day national rail strikes. UK trades unions have called for action this coming Tuesday (21 June) and on two days...Read more
Scottish government in dispute with multiple unions, strike looming?
Management and unions seem to be further apart than ever in a series of industrial disputes. Despite optimism last week, the government in Edinburgh appears unlikely to placate unions over a deepening series of disputes....Read moreSides dig in for summer of discontent and lengthy UK rail disputes
The UK government and the unions seem set for an entrenched battle over the dispute expected to play out over this summer. Both sides have been ramping up their rhetoric, leaving the nation braced for...Read more
Overwhelming vote for strike action as British railway relations hit the buffers
UK trades union members have voted overwhelmingly for strike action. The result of a nationwide ballot was announced late on Tuesday evening, giving unions a mandate to call their members out in what has been...Read moreBritain on ‘war footing’ for rail strike
A ballot for strike action will see the UK government prioritise the movement of freight trains in a way not seen since the general mobilisation at the outbreak the First World War. The stark warning...Read more