Winter of discontent: Platform staff join rail workers with more strikes in December
Station platform workers have piled on more pressure to the British public before Christmas announcing a series of strike days in mid-December.
Members of the TSSA union will join railway colleagues on the picket line as part of a long-standing dispute over salaries and jobs.
Avanti West Coast workers will walk out on 13, 14, 16, 17 December, while c2c staff will walk out on 17 December.
This will coincide with strike action carried out on 13, 14, 16, 17 December by the union RMT.
TSSA members at other train operators such as LNER and Govia Thameslink will carry out action short of strike, doing only what is contractually required of them.
Union bosses decided to push ahead with further industrial action after negotiations broke down on Tuesday.
TSSA’s organising director Luke Chester accused the government of not enabling train operators – which are represented by trade body Rail Delivery Group (RDG) – to discuss pay.
The same comments were made several times by RMT’s general secretary Mick Lynch, who said negotiations had become a farce.
“We have been patient but the government’s refusal to enable employers to make an offer to settle the dispute will now cause misery for passengers,” Chester explained.
The Department for Transport denied the claims, deeming them “incorrect” while the RDG urged union bosses to stay at the negotiating table and “end a dispute that is harming passengers and businesses, the industry, and their members.”
The government has always maintained it didn’t take part in talks, with transport secretary Mark Harper saying his role was that of facilitator, not of negotiator.
The TSSA’s announcement comes as Eurostar security staff are set to walk out on 16, 18, 22 and 23 December.
The industrial actions will have a devastating impact on businesses, as they coincide with the busiest trading period for the hospitality and retail sectors.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade body UKHospitality, told CityAM the walkouts will cost the industry £1.5bn in lost sales.
BusinessLDN’s director for transport Adam Tyndall urged all parties to “to work together to reach agreements that enable businesses, Londoners and our festive visitors to make the most of everything the capital has to offer this winter.”