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Rail dispute causes second day of travel chaos
7 Aug 2009Commuters face more travel misery today as rail workers walk out for a second day.
Services on National Express East Anglia routes, including busy commuter trains from Essex into London's Liverpool Street station, will be hit, forcing many people on to packed buses.
Worse disruption is threatened next week unless the bitter row over pay and conditions is resolved.
The Rail Maritime and Transport Union and the drivers' union Aslef said the start of the 48-hour walkout at midnight yesterday was "solidly" supported.
RMT leader Bob Crow said: "Our members have shown again that they are solid, angry and determined to secure a fair deal on pay and conditions from a company that is obsessed with maximising profits at the expense of staff and the travelling public.
"National Express have provoked this action and have alienated their entire workforce. Those workers have shown that they are not prepared to take a hit to prop up the profits of a company whose management have shown that they are not fit to run rail services."
The company accused the unions of demanding "unrealistic" pay rises and said an improved offer had been rejected.
Andrew Chivers, managing director of National Express East Anglia, said: "We have asked the unions to suspend the action whilst discussions continue, but this request has been refused. We have also asked the unions to put our revised offer to their members, but this request has also been refused.
"We believe the pay claims continue to be wholly unrealistic and that continuing strike action is inappropriate and unnecessary.
"We are extremely sorry that our customers will be inconvenienced as a result of this unnecessary industrial action by the unions."
Booking clerks belonging to a third union, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, will join another 48-hour strike planned for Thursday and Friday next week if the deadlock is not broken.
Reader views (6)
The RMT still can cripple the Docklands Light Railway even without a train driver.
Simply because computers have not got a 100% reliability record (as anyone working on the dlr will tell you) hench the introduction of Passenger Service Agents which of whom are on a lesser salary to a train operator but somewhat close.
All the RMT would need to do is take the control room and the P.S.As on strike and that is an automated railway crippled.
They would not be able to run it as they would be defying our health and safety laws!
National Rail trains currently run at speeds that automated technology would not safely be able to cope with and in addition to this trains are larger, trains are big and bulky, and it would cause a massive expense
London Underground is currently operating with Semi Automated technology, where the drivers are present more for health and safety.
First Capital Connect's Thamelink trains will have Automated technology which will operate in the Central London section of the line only where drivers will regain full control from London bridge Station.
The Docklands Light Railway, has suffered a number of saftware failure incidents where passengers have been stranded on a train that has broken down.
- Anon, Hertfordshire, 07/08/2009 23:36
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Isn't that photo showing a train at Waterloo belonging to South West Trains..??
- Mark H, London England, 07/08/2009 13:24
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Why doesn't National Express or RMT take a full page advert in the press and publish the pay and conditions offer that is on the table? If it's derisory as the unions suggest then we commuters may be a little more sympathetic. Or, as is more likely we will see that actually (in this current economic climate it) the union is demanding a deal way in excess of what the job merits. Since when does checking a ticket and opening a few train doors warranted a wage greater than a teacher, hospital theatre nurse or police officer?
I just wish companies had the courage to fire striking staff and replace them with people who are happy to work for the wages and conditions they offer. It's tough times for everyone and I want to know who will compensate me if my business goes bust because the staff weren't able to get to work and do their jobs?
- Ken D, UK, 07/08/2009 10:57
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240 miles per hour trains in the UK. They will never leave the station; that is if they are ever built. Matter transfer will be the in thing, like Star Treck before we get the fast trains. Beam me up to Manchester Scotty.
- Albert Hall, hove england, 07/08/2009 10:47
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I wonder yet again at the self destrcution course that the unions keep taking. Those of us living in Greater London can easily commute by underground or into Fenchruch Street. Others can work from home. People wroking in rural areas have long since abandoned rail travel for the car.
- Bj, London, 07/08/2009 09:31
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Dear Father Christmas.
This year, can I have driverless Tubes & trains like they have on the Docklands Light Railway ?
Fankyou so much
Steven
p.s there's a mince pie on dining room table for you.
- Steve R, City of London, UK, 07/08/2009 08:57
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