A rail union has announced strike action on two dates next month, adding to already planned network disruption.
The Transport Staff Association – TSSA – has agreed to strike on August 18 and 20 at seven train operating companies in an industry-wide dispute over pay, job security and conditions.
Strike action will be taken at Avanti West Coast, c2c, East Midlands Railway, CrossCountry, Great Western Railway, LNER and Southeastern.
Thousands of railway workers, including station staff, operational, maintenance, supervisory and management staff, will take part in the strike action.
It is the first rail industry-wide industrial action taken by TSSA in more than a generation, the union said.
Read more: The next rail strike: What you need to know as strike action continues
Some form of strike action will take place on West Midlands, Northern, Greater Anglia and TransPennine Express trains – but it will not be full strike action.
The RMT union has already announced strike action towards the end of July and into August.
Earlier this summer, the RMT walkout became Britain’s biggest rail strike in 30 years.
A TSSA statement said: “This is the first rail industry-wide industrial action taken by TSSA in more than a generation, demonstrating the strength of sentiment over pay and job security as the cost of living crisis continues to bite.”
Manuel Cortes, TSSA General Secretary, said: “This is an important day for our members. The Tories’ cost of living crisis is the worst in living memory. Basic items like food, energy and clothing costs are going through the roof, but the government has chosen to start a political battle with the railway workers.
“Most of our members are entering the third or fourth year of a pay freeze, seeing their real pay fall. For many railroad workers in our union, this is the first time they have been directly involved in a labor dispute.
“We don’t take strike action lightly, but enough is enough. The Conservative government is the clear obstacle to a deal for rail workers. Grant Shapps must either personally come to the table or enable train operators to reach a deal on pay, job security and conditions.
“Instead of seeking to resolve this dispute, we are now seeing proposals to close hundreds of ticket offices and massive job cuts across our railways.
“For months we’ve been warning of a summer of discontent on our railways and sadly it’s an ever-closer reality.”
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