The Government is being urged to take urgent steps to help resolve the bitter rail row as services are set to be crippled by a mass walkout today. Members of four trade unions will strike for 24 hours, causing the worst rail disruption of the year so far, with some areas of the country having no services all day.
Rail passengers have been advised only to travel if necessary on Saturday because of the strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), Aslef, Unite and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA). Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, told the PA news agency his members are increasingly angry at the lack of progress in the dispute.
He said: “We don’t want to be on strike but this dispute will continue until the Government lifts the shackles from the train companies. The message I am receiving from my members is that they want more industrial action, so I think more strikes are inevitable.”
