Rail Strikes - Truss / Trevelyan / Charles era

[whole diary]

[grahame]

New PM (Liz Truss), new SoS (Anne-Marie Trevelyan), new King (Charles III), new thread?

The story so far - RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers), ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about), TSSA^» (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association - about) (and Unite?) rail strikes effecting GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) service so far this summer:
* 21, 23, 25 June 2022
* 27, 30 July
* 13, 18, 20 August
* 15, 17, 26 September (but cancelled due to passing of Queen Elizabeth II)
-> Have I missed any dates?

The above covered at
http://www.passenger.chat/26295
http://www.passenger.chat/26400
http://www.passenger.chat/26438
http://www.passenger.chat/26544
http://www.passenger.chat/26678
http://www.passenger.chat/26684
http://www.passenger.chat/26712
http://www.passenger.chat/26737 <- This thread

New strikes called
* 1, 5 October

Conservative Party Conference - 2nd to 5th October
Melksham ClimateFest - 2nd October
London Marathon - 2nd October

[ChrisB]

Lucy Frazer KC MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) I believe was appointed Rail Minister of State this morning

[grahame]

Lucy Frazer KC MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) I believe was appointed Rail Minister of State this morning

Ely, Waterbeach, Soham, Dullingham, Shippea Hill, Histon (if you call that a station) ...

[grahame]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62999136

More than 40,000 workers from Network Rail and 15 train operators will strike on 8 October, their union has said.

The RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) said it would be "effectively shutting down the railway network" as part of a long running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

[grahame]

Lucy Frazer KC MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) I believe was appointed Rail Minister of State this morning

Ely, Waterbeach, Soham, Dullingham, Shippea Hill, Histon (if you call that a station) ...

Confirmed on twitter to be Kevin Foster….appears Truss had a change of mind

Torre, Torquay, Paignton, Goodrington Sands

[grahame]

Also rail strike on 8th October - so that's 1st, 5th and 8th - set a couple of days ago

On a potentially more positive basis - from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

The head of the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) union has said talks with the new transport secretary were a "good start" in attempts to solve issues that have led to crippling strikes on the railways.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan held talks with Mick Lynch and Aslef's Mick Whelan last week, days after getting the job.

It represents a change of approach from her predecessor, Grant Shapps, who refused to meet union leaders.

But Mr Lynch warned: "We have got to see some concrete change."

Ms Trevelyan invited Mr Lynch and Mr Whelan for introductory talks as one of her first actions as transport secretary.

[grahame]

From https://www.gwr.com/strike

Trade unions have announced industrial action at a number of train companies, including GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), and Network Rail on Saturday 1, Wednesday 5 and Saturday 8 October.

On these days train services will be severely disrupted and some parts of the GWR network will have no train service at all. Train services on the days following the industrial action will also be disrupted.

On strike days an extremely limited service will operate between 07:30 and 18:30, and the last trains will leave much earlier.

Where we are able to run services, they are expected to be extremely busy and we are not able to provide bus replacement services. Online journey planners will be updated with the latest timetable information as soon as possible.

Passengers are advised to find alternative ways to travel on these days. Only travel by train if absolutely necessary. The majority of train services will not operate and there will be no services on many routes.

Unions taking action:

1 October
Strike Action: Aslef, RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) and Unite
Action short of a strike: TSSA^» (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association - about)

5 October
Strike Action: Aslef
Action short of a strike: TSSA

6 October
Strike Action: TSSA managers and office staff only

7 October
Strike Action: TSSA managers and office staff only

8 October
Strike Action: RMT

[grahame]

From GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway):

This will be followed by further strikes on:
 
Wednesday 5th October – ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about)
Thursday 6th October – TSSA^» (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association - about) (GWR management staff including our control centre)
Friday 7th October – TSSA
Saturday 8th October – RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)
 
There will be no service whatsoever on strike days on the majority of our network.

I understood the near-shutdown on 5th and 8th (as well as on 1st) - but is this now telling us that 6th and 7th are pretty close to shutdown too, and that staff like the senior management who sent out this email, won't be at work either?
 

[grahame]

Answering my own question (from reading the links we were given ;-) )

Thursday 6 October – Strike Day

An extremely limited service will operate. Services will start at 07:30 and all journeys must be completed before 18:30.

A very limited service will run on the following routes:

London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads (some extensions to Exeter/Plymouth)
London Paddington to Swansea (only to Cardiff Central until midday)
London Paddington to Oxford
Reading to Didcot Parkway
Didcot Parkway to Oxford
Windsor, Marlow, Henley-on-Thames, and Greenford branch lines
Reading to Basingstoke
Gloucester to Bristol Temple Meads
Cardiff Central to Plymouth (via Weston-super-Mare)
Cardiff Central to Westbury
Westbury to Swindon (via Melksham)

Avoid travelling and seek alternative ways to make your journey. If you are intending to travel on these routes, please only do so if absolutely necessary. Trains that are operating will be extremely busy.

[IndustryInsider]

I understood the near-shutdown on 5th and 8th (as well as on 1st) - but is this now telling us that 6th and 7th are pretty close to shutdown too, and that staff like the senior management who sent out this email, won't be at work either?

Good question regarding senior management.  At a guess I would say that the director level managers will not be striking, but any management below that level will be.  Perhaps I’ll be wrong and we’ll see Mark Hopwood stood by a burning drum at a picket line, but I somehow doubt it!

You can run a normal service for several days without most managers of course, except for things like control staff as you need a full, or near full, complement of them to deal with the operational side of things 24/7.

[Timmer]

I understood the near-shutdown on 5th and 8th (as well as on 1st) - but is this now telling us that 6th and 7th are pretty close to shutdown too, and that staff like the senior management who sent out this email, won't be at work either?

This was news to me as well until it appeared the other day on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) strike web page. Not affecting every TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) by any means:
https://www.tssa.org.uk/news-and-events/tssa-news/tssa-confirms-new-strike-dates

[ChrisB]

It's the staffing in control, I think.

No service on the North Cotswolds from the 5th to the 8th....inclusive.

[Electric train]

It's the staffing in control, I think.

No service on the North Cotswolds from the 5th to the 8th....inclusive.

1st and 8th are Network Rail Ops and Maintenance staff strikes

[PhilWakely]

It's the staffing in control, I think.

No service on the North Cotswolds from the 5th to the 8th....inclusive.

Journey Planners currently have no GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) data for 6th and 7th October as the services are still being finalised. Should be loaded by the weekend.

[ChrisB]

No need to wait….the strike page on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website explains already where services will & will not run