Railway workers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action across Network Rail and the train operating companies.
The RMT Union announced the outcome of the vote yesterday evening, and confirmed that 71% of its 40,000 members took part in the vote, with 89% voting in favour of strike action and only 11% voting against it.
RMT members working for Network Rail and 14 out of 15 of the train operators voted for “strike action and action short of strike”.
The Union has called it “the biggest endorsement for industrial action” by railway workers since privatisation, and says it will now be demanding “urgent talks” with Network Rail and the 15 train operating companies that were balloted to find a negotiated settlement to the dispute over pay, jobs, and safety.
It’s thought that services could be reduced to around a fifth of the normal weekday timetable.
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It is also possible trains will only run for part of the day, such as from 7am to 7pm, and only on main lines too, although this is only speculation at this point.
RMT declares overwhelming mandate for national strike action on railways Railway workers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action across Network Rail and the train operating companies.https://t.co/xaa6nORJTUpic.twitter.com/DyYrMwjcus
“This overwhelming endorsement by railway workers is a vindication of the union’s approach and sends a clear message that members want a decent pay rise, job security and no compulsory redundancies,” said Mick Lynch – General Secretary at RMT Union.
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“Our NEC will now meet to discuss a timetable for strike action from mid-June.
“But we sincerely hope ministers will encourage the employers to return to the negotiating table and hammer out a reasonable settlement with the RMT.”
Northern was one of the balloted train operators with workers voting in favour of strike action, as well as Avanti West Coast, Transpennine Express, and other major operators including Greater Anglia, GWR, LNER, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, and South Western Railway.
Sources say if strike action does go ahead, it would cost the rail industry around £30 million each day.
89% of balloted RMT Union members voted in favour of strike action / Credit: Northern
Three issues are said to be at the heart of the dispute for the union – pay, compulsory redundancies, and safety concerns.
Speaking on the outcome of the vote, Steve Montgomery – Group Chair of the Rail Delivery Group, representing train operators – said: “Our railways must adapt to attract more passengers back and reduce our running costs [and] it is not fair to ask taxpayers to continue to shoulder the burden when there are other vital services that need public support.
“Nobody wins when industrial action threatens to disrupt the lives and livelihoods of passengers and businesses and puts the industry’s recovery at risk.
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“We urge the RMT leadership to behave responsibly, and to talk to us to find a way to avoid damaging industrial action and secure the long-term future of the industry.”
RMT Union has called it “the biggest endorsement for industrial action” by railway workers since privatisation / Credit: Network Rail
He added that every business wants to support its staff, and “the railway is no exception”.
“All train operators want to offer their staff a pay rise and are working hard to make that happen. But, as an industry, we have to change our ways of working and improve productivity to help pay our own way,” he continued.
“The alternatives of asking taxpayers to shoulder the burden after government has contributed over £16 billion to the industry during COVID, or asking passengers to pay even higher fares when they too are feeling the pinch, simply isn’t fair.”
Featured Image – Network Rail
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Drivers warned of ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter
Emily Sergeant
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ on the roads that could seem them hit with hefty fines as winter rolls around.
Once the temperatures drop, and the days get shorter and darker, fog tends to become a more common weather occurrence around this time of year – but an eye-opening new survey has found that most drivers don’t really how to use their fog lights correctly.
According to guidance from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), fog lights should only be used on British roads when visibility drops below 100 metres, yet the new research by eBay has found that 60% of drivers use their fog lights at the wrong times, and what’s more is that one in 10 say they switch on their fog lights when visibility is less than 300 metres.
48% of drivers who took part in the research admitted that they activate full-beam headlights when it’s dark, regardless of oncoming traffic and other road users.
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter / Credit: Nabeel Syed (via Unsplash)
The RAC says these stats reveal a ‘worrying trend’ among motorists, and have warned that these habits could actually means drivers are risking fines of up to £1,000 and three penalty points on their licence.
If the incorrect usage of fog lights wasn’t bad enough as it is, the new research also found that many Brits say they do not stay on-top of regular car maintenance when it comes to car fog lights, either – with just 15% saying they check them every month, and shockingly, 24% stating they’ve never checked them before.
Due to the ongoing issue of headlight glare, in whatever form that may be, The RAC has found that as many as one in four drivers (25%) who find headlights ‘too bright’ are actually driving less as a result.
“Unfortunately for a lot of drivers, the annual onset of darker evenings coincides with another unwelcome arrival – that of overly-bright headlights that they believe make driving more difficult due to dazzle and discomfort,” explained Rod Dennis, who is the Senior Policy Officer at the RAC.
“While most of us have no choice other than to adapt to driving at night more often as the clocks go back, the fact headlight glare is the leading cause of nervousness underlines it’s a problem that needs tackling.
“At the same time, it’s important to remember that brighter headlights can give drivers a better view of the road ahead, so there’s a balance to be struck.”
Featured Image – Robin the Bird (via Unsplash)
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Police investigation underway following ‘shocking’ arson at Marple Cenotaph on Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
A public appeal for information has been issued after a fire was started near a war memorial in Stockport on Bonfire Night.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is currently investigating after officers were called out around 9:50pm on Bonfire Night (Wednesday 5 November) following reports of a group of males near to the Cenotaph in Marple.
When police arrived at the scene, they found that a fire had been started in a bin and wooden pallets had been set alight – with the ground nearby having been damaged.
Neighbourhood officers in Marple are now investigating and are appealing for information in relation to this incident.
The incident has been described as a reckless act that could have ended with more damage and even serious injury.
“The Cenotaph means a lot to the community and incidents like this are deeply upsetting, particularly at a time when we should be honouring the memory of our war veterans,” explained Sergeant Rachel Walton, of GMP’s Stockport East Neighbourhood Policing Team.
“We are working closely with partners at Stockport Council and the fire service to ensure the area is cleaned and restored.
“We want to identify the individuals responsible, and we will have extra high-visibility patrols in the park each evening leading up to the Remembrance Day service on Sunday (9 November).”
This incident is just one of a total of 350 calls related to fire or fireworks that GMP responded to on Bonfire Night, which is said to be an increase from 203 last year.
A total of 27 arrests were made across Greater Manchester, with four weapons and hundreds of fireworks seized.
Emily Sergeant -
25th May 2022 
