More strike action has been permitted because 70.2 per cent of members have turned out to cast their vote, with 91.6 per cent voting for more strikes.
Despite national rail strikes being called earlier this month, train services across the UK were disrupted because rail companies were unable to reinstate regular services.
Furthermore, a Tube strike on Thursday, November 10, caused widespread disruption in London, with most Tube lines suspended.
Now, Londoners are set for further travel woes as both bus drivers and train drivers have announced they will continue industrial action.
When are the London bus strikes?
The London bus workers will strike on November 22, 25, and 26, and on December 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, and 17.
Members of Unite, employed by Abellio in south and west London, will walk out in a dispute over pay, affecting drivers based in Battersea, Beddington, Hayes, Southall, Twickenham, and Walworth.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Abellio is a vastly wealthy multinational company that could and should be paying its workers a fair pay increase.
“With workers struggling to cope with rampant inflation, Abellio’s failure to even enter into meaningful pay talks is cold-hearted and callous.
“Unite is now entirely focused on defending and enhancing the jobs, pay, and conditions of its members and the bus drivers at Abellio will be receiving the union’s complete support.”
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When are the Tube stations strikes?
A strike is planned at some Tube stations on November 25.
If it goes ahead, the stations that are likely to be impacted are Euston, Green Park, Heathrow Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5, Hatton Cross, Hounslow West, King’s Cross, and Victoria station.
When are the November rail strikes?
Train drivers at 11 operators are planning to strike on November 26.
Previous strikes set to take place on Saturday, November 5, Monday, November 7, and Wednesday, November 9 were cancelled.
What is the rail dispute about?
There are multiple disputes involving different employers, including Network Rail and more than a dozen train operators.
- RMT, the main rail union
- Aslef, representing train drivers
- TSSA, the union for white-collar staff in the transport industry
- Unite, representing some grades of train operators
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What has been said about the strikes?
Tim Shoveller, Network Rail’s chief negotiator, said: “A two-year eight per cent deal, with discounted travel and a new extended job guarantee to January 2025, is on the table ready to be put to our staff. Unfortunately, the leadership of the RMT seems intent on more damaging strikes rather than giving their members a vote on our offer.
“Me and my team remain available for serious talks and continue to negotiate in good faith. Our sector has a £2 billion hole in its budget, with many fewer passengers using our services. That reality is not going to change any time soon, and a fair and affordable and improved deal is on the table, ready to be implemented if our people were only offered the opportunity.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “This is incredibly disappointing. Through no fault of their own, millions of people will once again have their day-to-day lives disrupted and be unable to attend work, school, or vital doctors’ appointments.
“Our railway is in desperate need of modernisation but all more strikes will do is take it back to the dark ages and push passengers further away.
“We urge union bosses to reconsider this divisive action and instead work with employers, not against them, to agree a new way forward.”
The general secretary of Aslef, Mick Whelan, told the Independent: “What we need is for the Government to take the shackles off the privateers. The privateers have entered into a contract [with the Government] not to offer more than two per cent on pay. When we talk to the Government, they tell us to go and talk to the people we work for.
“Everybody we work for is paying out to their shareholders. Everybody we work for is turning over hundreds of millions of pounds out of the taxpayer. Yet the people that are generating that money, all railway workers and train drivers, are not getting their share.”
Asked when the strikes might end, he said: “It ends when someone talks to us.”
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