2022–2023 United Kingdom railway strikes

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has claimed that Network Rail is threatening to cut safety-critical jobs (an allegation rejected by Network Rail) as part of its modernisation programme, which would also include an increase in working hours. In 2022, rail workers also asked for a 7% pay rise to keep up with rising inflation (which stood at 9.1% in June 2022), but were initially offered 2%, with an extra 1% linked to redundancies. Critics of the strike, including Network Rail, point to changing commuter habits, such as a reduction in ticket office use, as well as more working from home since the COVID-19 pandemic, and passenger numbers continuing to be significantly below pre-COVID levels. The need for efficiency improvements and an end to outdated practices has also been highlighted, cited examples include requiring teams of up to nine people to do a job that could be completed by one person, and "walking time" of up to 12 minutes for staff members walking from their duties to the mess room during their breaks.[13][14][15][16][17] On 23 June 2022, The Guardian reported it had seen documents confirming rail operators planned to "repurpose" all ticket offices within 18 months, requiring customers to buy every ticket online or via a ticket machine. The documents reportedly also contain plans to hire new employees on inferior terms and conditions, including a requirement they work on Sundays and work for longer to qualify for a pension. According to The Guardian this is linked to a maximum 3% pay rise.[18]

While discussions have been ongoing between the RMT and the various train companies, the UK Government initially took a hands-off approach to negotiations. Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport until 6 September 2022, under the second Johnson ministry, said that it was not the government's job to negotiate with unions over pay and conditions.[19] This stance has drawn criticism from RMT union officials, such as General Secretary Mick Lynch,[20] as well as some politicians, including Conservative MP Jake Berry, who urged the government to join discussions.[21] On 30 July 2022, Mick Whelan, General Secretary of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF), another rail union involved in a dispute over pay and conditions, said during an appearance on LBC that he had not spoken to the Secretary of State for Transport for over two years, saying the last time they had spoken was "very early on in the pandemic".[22]

Following a ballot of National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers members over whether to take industrial action, it was announced on 24 May 2022 that they had voted in favour of strike action, paving the way for the UK's first national rail strike for three decades.[23] Workers at Avanti West Coast, c2c, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, London North Eastern Railway, Northern Trains, Southeastern, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains voted to strike,[24][25] with 71% of those balloted taking part in the vote; of those 89% voting in favour of strike action and 11% against. The ballot at Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern did not support strike action but supported industrial action short of a strike. Mick Lynch, General Secretary of the RMT said the decision "sends a clear message that members want a decent pay rise, job security and no compulsory redundancies".[26] The action would see the largest outbreak of industrial action in the United Kingdom since 1989,[27] and the first national strike involving the UK's railways since 1994, when signal workers walked out over a pay dispute with Railtrack.[28]

RMT Union members striking outside Network Rail property near Cambridge Station on 21 June 2022

Poster about proposed ticket office changes (closures) at Wivelsfield station.

On 7 June, initial strike dates were announced for 21, 23 and 25 June, with rail employees at Network Rail and 13 train operators joining the action. It was also announced that the 21 June strike would coincide with a planned 24-hour strike to be held by workers on the London Underground.[29] Talks between the RMT and managers at the train operators affected were held in an attempt to avoid the strike, but after these reached impasse, on 18 June it was confirmed the rail and tube strikes would go ahead.[30] Last-ditch talks on 20 June also failed to reach an agreement, meaning the strike would go ahead the following day,[10][31] with talks breaking down after Network Rail management informed the RMT of its intention to consult on plans for 1,800 redundancies.[32][33] The 21 June walkout involved 40,000 rail staff, as well as 10,000 workers from London Underground.[34] A further round of talks on 22 June also concluded without resolution, leading to a second day of industrial action on 23 June.[35] It was reported on 24 June that talks remained deadlocked, meaning a third day of industrial action was inevitable.[36] On 30 June, the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) confirmed its members at Avanti West Coast had voted overwhelmingly for strikes and action short of a strike, ostensibly over the same issues that had triggered the RMT dispute, with 86% voting for strike action and 91% voting for action short of a strike on a 91% turnout. The union said it also planned to ballot staff at Network Rail and other train companies who operate at stations along the West Coast Main Line.[37]

Talks between the RMT and Network Rail resumed on 30 June, with union leaders warning of further strike action if the consultation, scheduled to begin the following day, was to go ahead. The RMT argued the regulations were incompatible with their demand for no compulsory redundancies.[33] Members of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) at eight train operators voted to take strike action in a dispute over pay, while members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) at Southeastern also voted to take industrial action on 11 July.[38] Network Rail made a fresh pay offer the following day, which it said was worth more than 5%, but that was again linked to workers accepting "modernising reforms".[39] They refused to make any further improvements on their pay offer, and made threats on redundancies and pay if strike action was not withdrawn.[40][41] On 13 July, the RMT announced a fourth day of strike action after rejecting Network Rail's latest pay offer, which it described as "paltry".[42] In a press release on 22 July, the RMT union additionally accused Network Rail of "threatening to impose compulsory redundancies and unsafe 50% cuts to maintenance work" if strike action was not withdrawn.[41] On 14 July, ASLEF announced that train drivers at eight train companies – Arriva Rail London, Chiltern Railways, Great Western Railway, LNER, Greater Anglia, Southeastern, Hull Trains and West Midlands Trains – would strike on 30 July, involving around 5,500 union members.[43] RMT strikes at Network Rail and 14 train operators were announced for 18 and 20 August,[44] with the TSSA later announcing it would also strike on these two dates.[45] On 30 July, 5,000 members of ASLEF at eight rail companies, including Southeastern and West Midlands Trains, staged a 24-hour strike.[46] On 5 August, Network management staff belonging to the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association voted to accept a 4% pay rise, meaning the railway network would be able to continue providing a skeleton service on strike days.[47]

A fifth day of RMT strike action went ahead on 18 August, with Network Rail signal workers from England, Scotland and Wales also joining the industrial action.[48] RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch warned that the dispute could go on "indefinitely" unless a pay settlement is reached.[49] Additionally, RMT members in London planned to stage a 24-hour strike on 19 August, effecting the majority of services in London.[50] The RMT staged their sixth day of nationwide strike action on 20 August.[51] Shapps said that a revised pay deal worth 8% was on the table, but that the union bosses would not put this proposal to their members. He urged the RMT to accept what he described as a "fair" deal, but Lynch said that "only half the people in this dispute" would be covered by the deal.[51] On 25 August, train drivers at Chiltern Railways, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express belonging to the ASLEF union voted to take strike action in a dispute over pay and conditions.[52]

Further strikes were planned for September by all three unions,[53] but these were cancelled following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.[54] On 20 September, both the RMT and ASLEF unions announced a strike for 1 October, with ASLEF announcing an additional strike for 5 October.[55] On 22 September an RMT strike was announced for 8 October, which the union described as "effectively shutting down the railway network".[56] The strike on 1 October involved around 54,000 workers from four trade unions – the RMT, ASLEF, the TSSA and Unite – and was the most disruptive of the strikes to date.[57] As the 8 October strike approached, and with no further national strikes scheduled for after then, Mick Lynch announced that members would be balloted to determine if they wished to continue with the strikes.[58] On 19 October, the RMT announced a further three strike days for November, on 3, 5, and 7 November.[59] On 25 October, the RMT announced these would be rescheduled to 5, 7, and 9 November to avoid Royal British Legion Poppy Day.[60]

In Scotland, a separate strike was called for 10 October after the RMT rejected a 5% pay offer from ScotRail that was described as a "kick in the teeth".[58] An RMT strike involving staff at Avanti West Coast was held on 22 October, forcing the cancellation of a number of services throughout the day.[61]

On 4 November the RMT announced the strikes had been suspended and that they would enter into "a period of intensive negotiations" with Network Rail and the train operators.[62] On 10 November, the ASLEF union announced that around 9,500 train drivers at 12 train operators would strike on 26 November.[63] A strike by London Overground workers, also scheduled for 26 November, was suspended while they considered a fresh pay offer.[64]

On 22 November, the RMT announced four 48-hour strikes in the run up to Christmas and early 2023, with strike action scheduled for 13–14 December, 16–17 December, 3–4 January and 6–7 January.[65] On 5 December, RMT staff working for Network Rail (roughly half of those involved in the dispute) announced a strike over Christmas, beginning at 6pm on Christmas Eve and continuing until 6am on 27 December.[66] On 20 December, ASLEF announced drivers at 15 train companies would strike on 5 January 2023, on the day between the two RMT strikes announced for January.[67]

In December 2022 the Rail Delivery Group offered a pay rise worth 10%, and this was initially warmly received by the RMT. However in England the government intervened, reducing the offer to 8% and amending an expansion of Driver-only operated trains into the deal.[68] This revision was then rejected by the RMT, with Lynch commenting "they might as well have come in with a fish and slapped me round the chops with it". The Department for Transport in turn retorted that it was a "good offer for their membership that provides a significant uplift in pay and assurances around compulsory redundancies".[69] The dispute was resolved with negotiations in Scotland and Wales,[70][71] with Lynch noting that in those locations the Department for Transport could not block a resolution between the unions and train companies as they could in England, as transport was devolved to the Scottish and Welsh governments. "There is no prospect of settling this dispute. If we had got an offer, we'd have had to consult. We're blocked by this government." He further alleged that the government wanted to keep the strikes going in order to make changes to strike laws.[72] Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper stopped negotiating with ASLEF for an England deal at that time.[73]

In January 2023, the Rail Delivery Group made their first pay offer to ASLEF, described as being worth 4% in backdated pay for 2022, and 4% in 2023. The pay rise would see the wages of train drivers rise by £5,000 by the end of 2023, and no compulsory redundancies until 2024, but was conditional on the acceptance of new working conditions.[74] The changes included allowing managers to drive trains, changes in technology used for training, and flexible working changes including Sunday working. On 17 January 2023, ASLEF announced a further two strikes for 1 and 3 February.[75]

On 19 January 2023 the Rail Delivery Group made a fresh offer to the RMT, with a backdated pay rise to 2022 and worth 5% for 2022 and 4% for 2023, but this was again linked to changes in working conditions. The RMT said they were "considering" the offer, but rejected it on 10 February. The Rail Delivery Group and Network Rail had described it as their "best and final" offer, and said they would seek further discussions. The deal was rejected by the RMT's executive committee, but the rail industry and UK government wanted the deal to be put to a vote of members.[76][77] In response, the RMT announced four new days of strikes during March and April, with the dates confirmed as 16, 18 and 30 March, and 1 April.[78]

RMT staff working for Network Rail called off the 16 March strike after being given a fresh pay offer.[79] On 22 March the strikes scheduled for 30 March and 1 April were called off following discussions with RMT representatives of train company staff and the Rail Delivery Group.[80] This offer was ultimately rejected in April, and fresh strike dates were announced for May and June. The Rail Delivery Group were accused by union leaders of changing the terms of the pay offer, something the Rail Delivery Group rejected. They also said they had been "blindsided" by the announcement of fresh strikes.[81] Communication between ASLEF and the English rail companies ended in April, and had not resumed by September.[82]

On 4 May 2023, members of the RMT voted to renew the union's mandate to take strike action for a further six months.[83] The union voted in favour, and further strikes were announced for early June.[84] The ASLEF dispute was resolved in Scotland and Wales after negotiations with devolved authorities and ScotRail; these resulted in pay offers that were accepted by the union. There was no such resolution on the dispute in England, with Whelan arguing that Westminster needed to "act like the grown-ups in the room". Scottish and Welsh transport are devolved matters, and so not under direct control of Westminster.[85] On 22 June, three further days of strike action were announced by the RMT for 20, 22 and 29 July.[86] ASLEF drivers 16 train operators announced a six-day overtime ban beginning from Monday 3 July, threatening disruption to services.[87]

The RMT addressed rumours of mass ticket office closures on 26 June, commenting that they would "vigorously oppose" such action. The policy was announced by the English rail companies on 5 July 2023, when they launched a 21-day consultation over plans to closing hundreds of ticket offices at railway stations. The proposed changes have been criticised by disabled travellers,[88] and involve statutory redundancy notices for hundreds of staff. For some train operators, the proposed cuts equate to two thirds of their workforce.[89] Lynch downplayed notions of a swift resolution, noting that no minister had spoken to him since January, and that the train companies were not negotiating.[90] By 26 July, organisers Transport Focus and London TravelWatch said they had received more than 170,000 responses from passengers. On 26 July the consultation process was extended until 1 September after organisers heard that not all train companies had provided the information in accessible format.[91] By 29 July the RMT estimated that one billion pounds had been spent by the government to cover the losses of the train companies during the dispute, in order to remove the financial incentive for the rail companies to come to a resolution, and keep the dispute going.[92] An RMT organised protest march took place in London on 31 August.[93] Aslef indicated that no further negotiations with Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper had taken place since December, and negotiations with train companies had stalled in April.[94]

On 19 October 2023, members of the RMT voted to stage a further six months of strike action.[95]

Action that was announced, but then suspended before it could take place, is struck through.

At a meeting of his cabinet on 21 June 2022, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the UK should be prepared to "stay the course" because "these reforms, these improvements in the way we run our railways are in the interests of the travelling public, they will help to cut costs for farepayers up and down the country".[138] On the second day of strike action, Downing Street urged union members to call off the strikes "as quickly as possible", but Lynch warned that the strike on 25 June was likely to go ahead, along with future industrial action.[111] He also urged Shapps to "tone down the rhetoric and get on with his job" as a third day of industrial action got under way on 25 June.[139]

As the strike got underway, Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, confirmed government plans to make changes to the law that would allow agency workers, or those from elsewhere within an organisation, to fill the jobs of striking workers, and for rules that would ensure "minimum service levels" during industrial action.[140] The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses (Amendment) Regulations 2022 and Liability of Trade Unions in Proceedings in Tort (Increase of Limits on Damages) Order 2022 were brought before Parliament on 27 June.[141] The new regulations repealed previous legislation that prohibited the use of agency staff to replace striking workers,[142][143] and raise the amount of damages a company can seek from a trade union because of industrial action from £250,000 to £1 million.[144] In addition it will also repeal the Trade Union (Wales) Act 2017 passed by the Senedd to outlaw the practice of using agency workers during strikes that occur in Wales.[145] The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses (Amendment) Regulations 2022 was approved by MPs by 289 votes to 202 on 11 July,[146] and came into force on 21 July.[143]

Although any legislation would not be quick enough to prevent disruption from the strike action in June, the UK government argued it was required because "unions are threatening action across the economy". But the Trades Union Congress (TUC) criticised the plans, saying they undermined the right to strike and would put safety at risk.[147] TUC Secretary General Frances O'Grady accused the government of being "more interested in cynically picking a fight with unions than reaching a negotiated settlement", while Kwasi Kwarteng, the Secretary of State for Business, said that a situation where trade unions "are holding the country to ransom by grinding crucial public services and businesses to a halt" is one that was "not sustainable".[148] But some industry figures have expressed caution. On 1 July the directors of 13 of the UK's largest recruitment companies, including Hays plc, Adecco Group, Randstad NV and ManpowerGroup, wrote to the business secretary urging him to reconsider the plans amid concerns they could further exacerbate the situation.[149]

On 27 June the UK government announced that it would "legislate to remove the Trade Union (Wales) Act 2017 through primary legislation when Parliamentary time allows, to ensure trade union legislation applies equally across Great Britain".[lower-alpha 7] The Welsh branch of the GMB trade union said that it would fight the plans, with its political officer Tom Hoyles accusing the UK government of "overstepping the mark", while the Welsh Government described the changes as "counter-productive and against everything we stand for in Wales" and said they would "resist" attempts to overturn the 2017 Act. But BBC News reported that the 2017 law had been passed before changes the Senedd's powers had made clear industrial relations is a "reserved" matter for Westminster.[145]

During a televised debate between the two candidates in the July 2022 Conservative Party leadership election held on 25 July, both Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss responded affirmatively to a question on whether they would legislate to prohibit strikes on "essential public services like the railways".[150] On 18 August The Times reported that Shapps had announced a 16-point government plan to offset the impact of industrial action, which includes lifting the ban on the use of emergency powers to prevent strikes if they could create a national emergency, introducing legislation to ensure a minimum level of services during industrial action, and raising the required threshold of support for strike action from 40%.[151]

The RMT has alleged several times throughout the dispute that the UK government has intervened to keep the dispute going, in order to pass legislation restricting unions. The government intervened to block a nationwide resolution to the RMT dispute in December 2022. The government were unable to intervene in Scotland and Wales, as transport is devolved, and the dispute was resolved by the deal in those areas.[72] By July 2023 the RMT estimated that one billion pounds had been spent by the government to cover the losses of the train companies during the dispute, in order to remove the financial incentive for the rail companies to come to a resolution, and keep the dispute going.[92]

Labour Party leader (and Leader of the Opposition) Keir Starmer drew criticism from the RMT, as well as some members of his own party, for choosing not to support the strike action. He also instructed Labour MPs not to join picket lines, but several, including John McDonnell, Diane Abbott, Kate Osborne and Nadia Whittome, then went on to do so. Commenting on this, Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy said "a serious party of government does not join picket lines".[152][153][154] On 27 July, Labour MP Sam Tarry was dismissed from his post as a shadow transport minister after joining picketing railway workers at London's Euston station. Labour said his dismissal had nothing to do with his decision to join the picket line, but was due to unauthorised media interviews he gave throughout the day.[155]

On 29 August 2023, it was reported that Network Rail would not pay annual bonuses worth around £300 to staff members who took part in strike action. The decision, which would affect around 20,000 employees, follows the resolution of the RMT dispute with Network Rail in March 2023, when members voted to accept a 5% pay rise.[156]

A YouGov poll found that in October 2022, 45% of British adults strongly or somewhat support the rail strike compared to 42% who strongly or somewhat oppose it.[157] According to a poll by Savanta ComRes in December 2022, 47% of respondents supported rail strike action, 34% opposed and 19% were undecided.[158][159] YouGov found that support for striking rail unions remained consistent throughout the first half of 2023, following a similar pattern to other unions.[160]

On 9 June 2022, members of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen (ASLEF) voted to strike in a separate dispute. The union, which represents train drivers, announced plans to hold strike action on 23 and 26 June and 13 and 14 July. The train operators affected were Hull Trains, Greater Anglia and Tramlink.[161] ASLEF members staged a strike on 2 July, affecting 90% of train services operated by Greater Anglia.[162]

On 22 June 2022 it was reported that members of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) had voted to accept a 7.1% pay rise following an ongoing dispute with Merseyrail which had led to strike action.[163] Unlike the train operators involved in the national dispute, Merseyrail is a fully devolved train operating company and therefore not required to consult the government on issues such as levels of pay and industrial disputes.[164] Manuel Cortes, General Secretary of the TSSA, described the deal as "a sensible outcome to a reasonable offer".[165]

On 24 June 2022, members of the RMT working on the London Underground voted to continue with strike action for a further six months in an ongoing dispute over pensions and job cuts. The continued industrial action was supported by 90% of voting members on a 53% turnout.[166] On 3 August RMT workers on the London Underground network, and London Overground trains served by Arriva Rail London, announced a 24-hour strike for 19 August; workers at Arriva Rail London had rejected a 5% pay offer.[167] On 6 July 2023, RMT workers on the London Underground announced six days of strikes from Sunday 23 July to Friday 28 July.[168]

On 16 June 2023, drivers at Avanti West Coast announced a one day strike on 2 July over the terms of sick pay.[169] This strike, concerning a separate dispute to the long-term industrial dispute, was subsequently called off on 22 June after Avanti agreed to remove the policy regarding sick pay.[170]

Strikes were planned on the London Underground between 23 and 28 July 2023, with the RMT set to walk out for six days, while members of Unite and ASLEF would strike on 26 and 28 July. On 21 July it was announced the strikes had been called off following last minute talks between union representatives and Transport for London.[171]

Industrial action involving the railways coupled with potential unrest in other sectors sparked media concerns of a "summer of discontent" involving multiple disputes and strikes, and mirroring the Winter of Discontent of 1978–79 that had seen widespread disruption across the UK economy.[172][173][174] On 19 June The Observer reported that the National Education Union would ballot its 450,000 members on industrial action if teachers did not receive a pay rise close to the rate of inflation, while it was also reported that Unison had warned of industrial action among medical staff if they were not offered a pay rise.[175] On 23 June, it was announced that 700 staff at Heathrow Airport who belong to the GMB and Unite unions had voted to hold strike action during the summer holidays, when the number of overseas travellers was expected to be at pre-pandemic levels.[176] On 7 July the strike action was suspended following further discussions between union representatives and British Airways, which had resulted in what the union described as a "vastly improved" pay offer.[177]

On 27 June, members of the Criminal Bar Association in England and Wales began four weeks of industrial action after rejecting a 15% pay rise; the walkout disrupted 90% of proceedings at the Old Bailey as barristers demanded a 25% increase.[178] Having rejected a 15% pay offer from the government, on 22 August it was announced that barristers had voted to strike indefinitely from 5 September, with 79.9% of those voting on the issue in favour of the plans.[179]

On 27 June, it was announced that members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) at 114 Crown Post Offices, the largest branches typically on a high street or city centre, would walk out on 11 July in an ongoing dispute over pay. It would be the third time the union had staged industrial action during 2022 after members rejected a 3% pay rise and £500 lump sum.[180]

On 28 June, GPs at the Annual General Meeting of the British Medical Association voted to take industrial action over new contracts requiring them to work on weekday evenings and Saturdays.[181] On 29 June, Royal Mail managers belonging to the Unite union voted to take industrial action in a dispute over redundancies and a redeployment programme to bring in what they described as "worsening terms and conditions"; the vote for strike action was 86% in the UK mainland and 89% in Northern Ireland.[182] On 19 July Royal Mail workers belonging to the Communication Workers Union voted to take strike action; the stoppage would involve roughly 115,000 staff members.[183] The first of four one day Royal Mail strikes was held on 26 August, with further industrial action planned for 31 August, and 8 and 9 September.[184]

On 30 June CWU members working for BT Group voted to take industrial action over pay, with strike action expected to involve around 40,000 of the company's frontline workers, mostly engineering and call centre staff, and would be BT's first nationwide industrial action since 1987.[185] Two days of strike action were subsequently announced for 29 July and 1 August,[186] and went ahead as scheduled.[187]

On 1 July it was confirmed that roughly 370 Unite members employed as bus drivers at Stagecoach in Merseyside would begin eight days of strike action from 4 July in a dispute over wages.[188]

On 5 August, the Unite union announced that 1,900 workers at Felixstowe Docks, one of the UK's largest ports, would stage an eight-day strike from 21 August after rejecting a 7% pay rise from the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company. Unite described the pay offer as "significantly below" the rate of inflation.[189] The strike represented the first such industrial action for three decades.[190] Around 1,600 Unite members working for London United Busways staged a 48-hour strike on 19 and 20 August, affecting bus routes in West and South West London, as well as parts of Surrey.[191]

On 28 August it was reported that the Unison and Unite unions had submitted motions ahead of the Trades Union Congress, due to be held in September, calling for co-ordinated strike action throughout the autumn as a way to create a greater impact.[192]

On 9 November, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) announced it had a mandate to strike in the majority of NHS trusts.[193] On 17 November, the union warned the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay, that he had 5 days to open formal negotiations or strikes would be announced for December 2022.[194]