National Rail Strikes July 2023

Thirteen months after the first nationwide rail strikes since the 1980s began, the disagreements about compensation, employment, and working conditions remain unresolved. Both of the major rail unions have resumed their industrial action against more than a dozen train operators as of July.

Employees of the London Underground will strike for six days in late July over pensions, job losses, and what the RMT union is calling "attacks on working conditions" in a separate dispute.

The largest union, the RMT, and Aslef, which represents train drivers, claim that many of their members have not received pay increases in four years as a result of the national rail issues. 

In the national rail disputes, the biggest union, the RMT, and Aslef, representing train drivers, say many of their members have not had a pay rise for four years. 

Although some of the impacted carriers often run trains in Wales and Scotland, Transport for Wales and ScotRail are not implicated and will continue operating their regular routes.

Who is engaging in labour unrest, and when?

Aslef, the union for train drivers, is implementing "action short of a strike" in the form of Monday through Saturday overtime restrictions. It conducted its first six-day walkout from July 3 to July 8. The second started on Monday, July 17, and will last through at least Tuesday, July 22, inclusive.

Each day, hundreds of trains are probably going to be cancelled.

The largest rail union, the RMT, will bring 20,000 of its members out on strike later in the month on Thursday, July 20, Saturday, July 22, and Saturday, July 29. The Aslef overtime bans fall on the first two dates.

The extensive cancellations at the beginning of England's big summer school holidays are probably a result of the walkouts in late July.

From Sunday, July 23 through Friday, July 28, there will be a strike on the London Underground that includes RMT members. It follows two more nationwide strikes called by the same union.

What's going on with the London Underground?

The RMT intends to strike from Sunday, July 23 through Friday, July 28. "This week of action will shut down London Underground and demonstrate the significance of the work done by our members," says general secretary Mick Lynch.

According to the union, 600 jobs would be lost, which will result in "more unstaffed stations and a lowering of safety standards". Authorities "plan to make London Underground staff poorer in retirement," the union claims.

The anticipated industrial action will not disrupt the Elizabeth Line or the London Overground. However, during RMT members' walkouts from their jobs as train operators and London Underground, routes that provide alternatives to strike-affected routes, notably Stratford, Walthamstow Central, and Ealing Broadway to central London, are likely to be exceptionally crowded.

National Rail Strikes July 2023