Rail workers to stage new 24-hour strike in September as pay dispute escalates

Union bosses ‘looking for support’ from Labour, as new train strike announced for 26 September

Rail workers are to stage a fresh 24-hour strike next month in an escalation of the national dispute over pay, job security and conditions.

Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) at nine train operating companies as well as Network Rail (NR) will walk out from midday on Monday 26 September.

The union remains in talks with NR about the possibility of a settlement but is urging transport secretary Grant Shapps to help break the deadlock – accusing him of “incompetence and intransigence”.

The following operators will be affected if the walkout goes ahead: TransPennine Express, West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast, c2c, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, LNER and Southeastern.

TSSA leader Manuel Cortes said the “dead hand” of Mr Shapps was stopping train operating companies from making “a revised, meaningful offer”.

He added: “Frankly, he either sits across the negotiating table with our union or gets out of the way ... The reason for the current impasse lies squarely at Shapps’ door and passengers are paying a high price for his incompetence and intransigence.”

The Labour-affiliated TSSA said it will be “looking for support” from both MPs and delegates to join them on picket lines, since the strike action will coincide with the Labour conference in Liverpool.

But Sir Keir Starmer said on Wednesday he would not join striking workers on picket lines, despite union leaders call for more support. Sir Keir said he had a “different” job of getting his party elected.

The Labour leader told Jeremy Vine on 5: “I completely understand why people are voting to go on strike, I understand how much they’re struggling – wages have been stagnant for the best part of 10 years.”

People are “really struggling”, Sir Keir said, adding: “I support the right to strike, the trade unions are representing their members, but my job is different, my job is to get a Labour government elected.”

Asked again if he would join TSSA workers on the picket line, he said: “No. I want a Labour government, I want to be a Labour prime minister. You can’t sit around the Cabinet table resolving issues and then walk onto a picket line, they are different jobs.”

Asked about criticism from commentator Owen Jones – who dubbed him a “professional political conman”, Starmer said: “I know Owen, I like Owen, I’m sorry Owen ... I’m not focused on Owen, I’m focused intently on winning the next general election.”

Mr Cortes said he would join and picket line and would be “encouraging fellow delegates and Labour MPs to do likewise”.

The TSSA union leader said it was time for Laour MPs to “rightly show they stand shoulder to shoulder with those fighting the Tories’ cost of living crisis”.

TSSA members staged two days of industrial action this month on 18 and 20 August. The union already rejected what it dubbed an “insulting” payrise offer of 2 per cent and has called for the government to allow TOCs to return to the negotiating table with a revised deal.

Meanwhile, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) boss Mick Lynch said the announcement of a long-term funding arrangement by the government and TfL on Tuesday will attack Tube workers’ pay and pensions – as he warned of fresh strikes.

“Grant Shapps’ attack on Tube workers would be unacceptable at any time but in an escalating, cost-of-living crisis it is shameful and will be resisted through further strike action,” said Lynch.

RMT, along with other transport unions, will be holding a Save London Transport rally on Wednesday evening with special guest US senator Bernie Sanders.