November strike action on National Rail suspended - impact on next week's service

[Mak1981]

Mod note: Please keep discussion here related to how services will be affected by the short-notice strike action cancellation. Any general debate regarding industrial action will be deleted.

Strikes called off for time being

RMT Press Office:

RMT suspends strikes after securing intensive negotiations with rail bosses.

Rail union RMT has suspended planned strikes on Nov 5, 7 and 9 and will now enter into a period of intensive negotiations with Network Rail and the train operating companies.
Through a strong industrial campaign so far, RMT has secured unconditional talks on Network Rail and the promise of an offer from the train operating companies who up until this point, have made no offer of any kind to our members.
Originally Network Rail was intent on imposing changes to maintenance without agreement with RMT.
The current dispute remains very much live, and the union is continuing its re-ballot of members to secure a fresh mandate for action with the result due on 15th November.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “The threat of strike action and our strongly supported industrial campaign has made the rail employers see sense.
“We have always wanted to secure a negotiated settlement and that is what we will continue to push for in this next phase of intensive talks.
“Our priority is our members, and we are working towards securing a deal on job security, a decent pay rise and good working conditions.
“Our re-ballot remains live and if we have to take strike action during the next 6 months to secure a deal, we will.”

END

RMT suspends rail strikes

RMT suspends strikes after securing intensive negotiations with rail bosses.

www.rmt.org.uk

 

[ChrisRS]

All strike action now suspended I've been informed.

 

[Mak1981]

Everything cancelled now I'm hearing

 

[yorksrob]

Sorry - which strikes have been called off ?

Presumably too short notice for tomorrow.

 

[SWT_USER]

Will there be a normal service tomorrow now?

 

[RJ]

Sorry - which strikes have been called off ?

Presumably too short notice for tomorrow.

All of them, tomorrow included. We've been told to book on as normal.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Will there be a normal service tomorrow now?

Very unlikely at this late stage.

 

[Thirteen]

Sorry - which strikes have been called off ?

Presumably too short notice for tomorrow.

I expect tomorrow will go ahead as it's too short notice.

If Huw Merriman was able to get things moving then it's a huge win. The TfL strikes I assume are still going ahead as that dispute is not Government related.

 

[SWT_USER]

Very unlikely at this late stage.

Thanks. Appreciate this is new news. Is it likely that just a strike timetable will run anyway?

I'm wondering what my chances are of making it from London to Nottingham via Peterboro and back which wasn't possible under the strike service.

 

[jfollows]

Good news: https://www.theguardian.com/politic...-immigration-uk-economy-uk-politics-live-news

2m ago15.42 GMT

RMT rail union suspends strikes planned for 5, 7 and 9 November, saying talks intensifying as employers 'see sense'​

The RMT rail union has announced that it has suspended strikes planned for tomorrow (5 November), Monday (7 November) and Wednesday (9 November). In a new release it said:

RMT suspends strikes after securing intensive negotiations with rail bosses.
Rail union RMT has suspended planned strikes on Nov 5, 7 and 9 and will now enter into a period of intensive negotiations with Network Rail and the train operating companies.
Through a strong industrial campaign so far, RMT has secured unconditional talks on Network Rail and the promise of an offer from the train operating companies who up until this point, have made no offer of any kind to our members.
Originally Network Rail was intent on imposing changes to maintenance without agreement with RMT.

And Mick Lynch, the RMT general secretary, said:

The threat of strike action and our strongly supported industrial campaign has made the rail employers see sense.
We have always wanted to secure a negotiated settlement and that is what we will continue to push for in this next phase of intensive talks.
Our priority is our members, and we are working towards securing a deal on job security, a decent pay rise and good working conditions.
Our re-ballot remains live and if we have to take strike action during the next 6 months to secure a deal, we will.

 

[Bantamzen]

Thanks. Appreciate this is new news. Is it likely that just a strike timetable will run anyway?

I'm wondering what my chances are of making it from London to Nottingham via Peterboro and back which wasn't possible under the strike service.

I cant imagine anything but a strike timetable for tomorrow, maybe even next week?

 

[yorksrob]

All of them, tomorrow included. We've been told to book on as normal.

Very unlikely at this late stage.

Thanks, and interesting.

I hope it's a long term settlement !

I won't cancel the hotel for tomorrow though, just in case.

 

[High Dyke]

RMT strike action for 5th, 7th and 9th suspended. Both Network Rail and TOC's. Circular below:

ALL STRIKE ACTION AND OVERTIME BAN IS SUSPENDED

RMT has held intensive and continuous discussions with Network Rail this week. Network Rail has now changed its position and made a u-turn in respect of the demand that all proposals must be accepted. The position now is in line with the Union’s demand that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed” and that further discussions are not conditional on pre-agreement of any current proposed changes to working practices and conditions.

The National Executive Committee has met today and welcomes Network Rail’s clarification, which will enable further unconditional discussions on the issues in our dispute. In order to support these further intensive talks, the NEC has taken the decision to suspend all industrial action.

I have advised the Company of the above and that a revised and full written proposal must be sent to RMT on or before Thursday 17th November 2022. Also that as nothing is yet agreed, any activities towards implementing any Modernising Maintenance changes should cease immediately.

Huge congratulations to all Network Rail members at this point for allowing us to reach this position. Now I strongly urge all members to return their ballot paper without delay to make sure your negotiating team retain the mandate in order to demand that your jobs, pay and conditions are protected.

RETURN YOUR BALLOT PAPER
VOTE ‘YES’ FOR ACTION

Yours sincerely
image001.jpg
Michael Lynch
General Secretary

ALL STRIKE ACTION IS SUSPENDED

As a result of the continued commitment and solidarity from members during this dispute, correspondence was received from the Rail Delivery Group this morning. Until this time there had been no indication of a proposal and now that position has changed. There will be a two-week period of intensive negotiations, commencing from Monday 7th November, with the aim of tabling formal proposals to your Union.

The National Executive Committee has met today and welcomes this development, which will enable further unconditional discussions on the issues in our dispute. In order to support these further intensive talks, the NEC has taken the decision to suspend all industrial action.

Huge congratulations to you all at this point for allowing us to reach this position. Now I strongly urge all members to return their ballot paper without delay to make sure your negotiating team retain the mandate while actively pursuing a settlement to protect your jobs, pay and conditions.

RETURN YOUR BALLOT PAPER
VOTE ‘YES’ FOR ACTION

Yours sincerely
image001.jpg
Michael Lynch
General Secretary

 

[CentralTrainer]

Would the planners/rosterers have drawn up normal work schedules to fall back on in case of this type of thing happening - or is it going to be a load of frantic phone calls to see who is available at 24 hours notice?

 

[yorksrob]

Congratulations to all, it sounds like progress, anyway.

 

[43066]

Good news!

 

[londonbridge]

TOC websites and apps not updating as yet and still showing no tickets available if I search for journeys for tomorrow.

 

[43066]

Would the planners/rosterers have drawn up normal work schedules to fall back on in case of this type of thing happening - or is it going to be a load of frantic phone calls to see who is available at 24 hours notice?

Not for tomorrow, too short notice. Further out there may be scope for reverting to original timetables.

 

[Benjwri]

Not for tomorrow, too short notice. Further out there may be scope for reverting to original timetables.

Really? On the GWR service I’m on they TM just announced all GWR services will run as usual. Wrong information?

Just before we got off we were talking to him and he told us he’s been told he has to work tomorrow now.

 

[Urobach]

Fantastic news, let's hope this is the beginning of the end of this horrible chapter for the railway

 

[Failed Unit]

A would be very surprised if it isn't a strike timetable tomorrow.

Last year EMR had a similar situation where they had action called of very late (like today) - they managed to run a few extras but the timetable on that days was the strike timetable. Hopefully next week will be normal however. Eurostar couldn't run 1913 Paris - London yesterday as they couldn't reinstate it in time and that was with much more notice.

Still not clear to me if all action is off - network rail looks OK. Reading @High Dyke post above I would interpret that TOC's in dispute are also suspended but not sure if I am reading what I want to read here.

 

[Russel]

This is promising, but I won't get too excited just yet.

Tomorrwo I can understand if a strike timetable still runs given it's less than 12 hours away, but there isn't really an excuse for the other days not being a full service.

 

[Llandudno]

I wonder if the Rest Day Working ‘dispute’ on the likes of Avanti and TransPennine is settled for now as well…?

 

[CentralTrainer]

So - looks like West Midlands Rail will be acting as if nothing has changed​

​

West Midlands Railway: Reduced timetable to remain in place despite strike suspension​

Rail passengers in the West Midlands are being warned that a reduced timetable will remain in place tomorrow (Saturday) despite the suspension of RMT strike action.

Due to the lateness of the RMT announcement on Friday afternoon, it will not be possible to reinstate the normal West Midlands Railway timetable and a reduced service will be in operation.

Jonny Wiseman, WMR customer experience director, said: “While it is welcome that this strike action has been suspended, it has come too late to reinstate the full timetable for tomorrow and passengers should still only travel if essential.

“Any changes to the planned level of service on Monday and Wednesday will be added to our website as soon as they are available.”
With staffing rosters and train movements planned many days in advance, a reduced timetable is also expected to remain in place on Monday, when strike action had also been announced. Details of the timetable on the remaining strike day - Wednesday 9 November - will be confirmed in due course.

Routes with a limited service tomorrow (Saturday) and on Monday are:

• Cross-City Line (Lichfield Trent Valley – Redditch/Bromsgrove via Birmingham New Street (2 trains per hour)
• Wolverhampton-Birmingham (1 train per hour)
• Birmingham New Street-Birmingham International (1 train per hour)

Trains will only run from 7.30am to 7.30pm. No services will be in operation on any other WMR route, including all routes via Birmingham Snow Hill, Birmingham-Shrewsbury, Birmingham-Worcester-Hereford and Nuneaton-Leamington Spa.

For more information visit www.wmr.uk/industrialaction

https://news.wmtrains.co.uk/pressre...in-in-place-despite-strike-suspension-3215609

 

[yorksrob]

I wonder if the Rest Day Working ‘dispute’ on the likes of Avanti and TransPennine is settled for now as well…?

It needs to be. I seem to remember Ms Trevelyan admitting that the reliance on rest day working was a problem.

 

[45107]

Certainly no prospect of normal timetables for Saturday or Monday.
Wednesday - I would suspect is highly unlikely to be normal due to planning & rostering constraints/timescales. There will not be sufficient staff to process alterations in time (but I could be wrong)

 

[Jurg]

XC have just tweeted that the strike timetable will remain for tomorrow.

 

[mm333]

I presume the Tube strikes on the 10th will still be going ahead. Are they different negotiations?

 

[CentralTrainer]

Cross Country have followed suit:

Strike update:

Whilst the strike by the RMT union has been called off, it is too late to change timetables for tomorrow (Sat 05 November).

The current advertised strike timetable will remain in place - you can check train times via http://nationalrail.co.uk.

 

[12LDA28C]

So have the TOCs now been given a mandate to engage in pay negotiations without incurring financial penalties, which has thus far been prevented by the DfT? The RMT statement mentions negotiations with the TOCs....