Talks between union leaders and rail companies to end rail disputes are currently ongoing, but passengers across the UK have been told to still expect delays and cancellations all week.
The warning to all those travelling by train to brace for affected services comes as most railway lines will be closed during the nationwide industrial strike action – which started yesterday, and will commence on Thursday and Saturday – as workers take part in what is the biggest walkout in the industry for more than 30 years in a row over pay, jobs, and conditions.
The RMT Union officially confirmed earlier this month that over 50,000 railway workers will walk out on 21, 23 and 25 June due to what is said to be the “inability of the rail employers to come to a negotiated settlement” with the RMT.
Strike action comes after 71% of the RMT’s 40,000 members took part in a vote – with 89% voting in favour of strike action and only 11% voting against it.
The RMT Union said the strike action is because Network Rail and the train operating companies have subjected their staff to multiyear pay freezes, and plan to cut thousands of jobs – which will make the railways “unsafe”.
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Members of the RMT Union at Network Rail and 13 train operators – including Northern and Avanti West Coast – have subsequently made the decision to strike, with only around one in five trains expected to be running.
A special timetable will operate in England, Wales and Scotland from Monday 20 to Sunday 26 June inclusive.
The timetable – published on Friday – will aim to offer the best service possible despite industrial action planned next week by the RMT union:
Although today is not officially a strike day, only 60% of trains are expected to run across the UK, and Network Rail has said that this is mostly because of a delay to the start of services, as signallers and control room staff are not doing overnight shifts.
As strike action officially began yesterday following unsuccessful last-minute talks, much of Britain had no passenger trains for the entire day, including most of Scotland and Wales, the whole of Cornwall and Dorset, and other rural and coastal areas across the country.
Large swathes of Greater Manchester and the North West was affected, and will continue to be affected, by the strike action.
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Only 60% of trains are expected to run across the UK on non-strike days / Credit: Network Rail
Although many chose to work from home where possible after being told to “give up on trains for the whole week”, for those who did need to travel, when train services were running yesterday – which were in very limited numbers and unpredictable – many passengers’ journeys took several hours longer than normal.
Those who chose to take the bus or travel by car were impacted by a surge in traffic, which the AA and RAC said earlier this week was unfortunately “inevitable”.
Mick Lynch – General Secretary at the RMT Union – hailed the “fantastic” turnout at picket lines which “exceeded expectations” yesterday and has vowed to continue the campaign this week, adding that RMT members are “leading the way for all workers” across the UK.
“Now is the time to stand up and fight for every single railway worker in this dispute that we will win,” he said in a statement yesterday.
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RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch on today's rail strike: "@RMTunion members are leading the way for all workers in this country who are sick and tired of having their pay and conditions slashed by a mixture of big business profits and government policy."https://t.co/XWU43zdz8hpic.twitter.com/ikvMTGmLkt
In response to the first day of nationwide strike action, a Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Unions have shut down big parts of the rail network, hitting local businesses and unfairly cutting people off from hospitals, schools and work.
“However, early data shows that unlike in the past many people now have the opportunity to work from home, so we haven’t even a rush to the roads, as traffic has instead gone online.
“This means the unions aren’t having the overall impact they might have hoped.”
Featured Image – Network Rail
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Salford Red Devils granted another adjournment over unpaid debts
Danny Jones
Salford Red Devils have been given one more adjournment and yet another stay of execution, being given another two weeks to find the money to cover their unpaid debts.
The local rugby league side, which has been wrapped in all manner of struggles both on and off-pitch over the past year or so, reportedly needs to pay around £700,000 to HMRC alone and still owes roughly £5 million in total to various creditors.
To no surprise, regular matchgoers, neutrals and even rivals alike have expressed their continued disappointment with the club, mainly at the lack of transparency and clarity from the organisation throughout this long, drawn-out process.
This is coming from a wire fan but no club deserves to be left in the dark even longer than they already have done it’s nothing but a disgrace to the sport of rugby those owners and the court should be ashamed of themselves.
Updating fans on social media, this is all the information they have communicated at this time: “Salford Red Devils can confirm that HMRC have granted the club a two-week adjournment, providing additional time in which to secure the necessary funds.
“We would like to reassure supporters that we are working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure a positive resolution. Further updates will be shared as soon as possible.”
It’s worth noting that the current owners have reiterated that they inheited around £3m in existing debt before they took over the club, but assurances over their own investments have still come to nothing; meanwhile, with many still waiting on wages, players and staff alike have now left.
Having been propped up by loan players and emergency loans, the team is now closer to a skeleton crew than it is an outfit capable of competing in the premier division.
Either way, the outrage remains and is only growing stronger. One user wrote on X: “A good approach by them if they was legit would be to engage and bring in The 1873 to bridge the communication black hole (they created).
“The problem with that is if they did it would expose them for what they are… Extortionists using the club as a vehicle.”
More alarm bells were raised recently when assistant coach and Krisnan Inu – who was also director of the company set up to take over the business – withdrew himself from a key position behind the scenes.
Speaking of The 1873, the outspoken supporters trust took no time at all in issuing a response of their own, adding: “The judge presiding over today’s case has adjourned by 14 days. This adjournment has dragged the uncertainty on even longer.
“Every delay makes planning for 2026 harder and keeps the club stuck in limbo when it desperately needs clarity and direction.
“The fans, the players and the future all deserve better — The 1873.”
You can see the rest of their statement in full down below, but for now, what do you make of this seemingly neverending saga, Salfordians?
‘Christmas chaos’ on the cards as Manchester tram drivers vote on staging strike action next month
Emily Sergeant
There could be major disruption to festive travel in Greater Manchester next month, as hundreds of tram drivers are currently voting on whether to strike.
Almost 320 tram drivers are being balloted over working conditions and fears around fatigue.
The drivers – who are members of the union, Unite – all work for KeolisAmey Metrolink Limited at the Warwick Road South and Queens Road depots in Manchester – and they operate trams on all routes in Greater Manchester.
As it stands, the drivers’ shift patterns currently mean they have to work 450 hours over a 12-week period, which results in some having to work 50 hours on, followed by just two days off, then back into another 50-hour work pattern.
Drivers also have fewer rest days compared to all other operational departments, and this is said to be causing safety concerns around fatigue.
‘Christmas chaos’ is on the cards as Manchester tram drivers are currently voting on staging strike action next month / Credit: TfGM
Drivers say they concerned about operating heavy vehicles while exhausted and unable to have proper breaks, but after raising the issue with management, Unite has been told there is ‘no funding available’ to support any ‘meaningful’ improvements to working patterns.
Instead, management has asked drivers to start work earlier – which Unite says is only ‘adding insult to injury’.
The ballot is set to close on 11 November, and if drivers vote in favour of industrial action, strikes could then begin in late November, causing widespread cancellations and delays throughout the region during the busy festive shopping period – particularly coinciding with Manchester’s world-famous Christmas Markets, known for attracting millions of visitors to the city each year.
“Any strike action will cause a great deal of disruption but it is entirely the fault of Metrolink, which is not taking the issue of driver fatigue seriously,” commented Unite Regional Officer, Colin Hayden.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd June 2022 
