A national strike on British railways will have a catastrophic effect on the live music and events industry if it continues later this summer, trade officials have warned.
More than 50,000 Network Rail workers and 13 railway companies represented by the RMT union have to leave on June 21 in a dispute over job cuts and wage freezes, with additional strikes scheduled for June 23 and June 25.
Some 10,000 London Underground workers are also due to strike on 21 June in a separate dispute over pensions and job losses. The strikes are expected to cause serious disruption and come in the midst of the festival season, with Glastonbury taking place in Somerset on June 22 for the first time since the pandemic.
GWR, the railway company serving Castle Cary, the station closest to Glastonbury, said it hoped to maintain a train schedule from London Paddington throughout the festival. But he said other parts of his network were likely to be “more affected” by the strike and that customers “may need to consider alternative ways to travel to Castle Cary Station”.
The National Express, which provides 70-seat buses, said it had seen a “significant increase” in travel reservations on the dates of the planned rail strikes and was “working hard to increase availability where possible”.
Other events, including a series of concerts with artists, including Elton John in Hyde Park and the UK Athletics Championships in Manchester, are also scheduled for this week.
Michael Kiel of the Association of Night Industries, which represents nightclubs, venues and festival organizers, said the proposed industrial action could have a “catastrophic” impact on the sector, which he said was “very fragile” after the pandemic. against the background of the costs of the life crisis. “There just seems to be a different barrier on every corner,” he said.
RMT members protest in front of St Pancras Station during a London Underground strike on June 6, 2022. Photo: Vuk Valcic / ZUMA Press Wire / REX / Shutterstock
John Collins, chief executive of Live, the chief body for trade associations in the live music and entertainment business, said the action could be devastating for event operators already struggling to recover from the pandemic, such as smaller ones. businesses are likely to be most affected.
“While our members understand RMT’s concerns, it is disappointing that this has come at a time when we are trying to revive the live music industry after almost two years of closure,” he said.
“It’s not just Glastonbury in this world. These are smaller festivals and concerts where people have paid £ 8 or £ 15 for a ticket, where customers may think, ‘I’m going to have to go.’ This means that the event may take place, but you may not achieve the profit you hoped for, which can be critical for business this year of all years.
Announcing the June 7 strike, RMT said the railway workers had been treated “horribly” and that despite “best efforts” in the negotiations, “the railway industry, with government support, has failed to take their concerns seriously”.
Secretary-General Mick Lynch said: “Rail companies earn at least £ 500 million a year, while fat cat bosses were paid millions during the Covid-19 pandemic. This injustice fuels the anger of our members and their determination to win a just agreement.
“RMT is open to meaningful negotiations with railway chiefs and ministers, but they will have to come up with new proposals to prevent months of disruption to our railways.
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