York train customers are to face disruption later this week as union members walk out in the long row over pay, jobs and conditions.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will strike on July 20, 22 and 29, following more than a year of industrial action in the dispute.
Station staff, train managers and catering staff will be involved in the action, with passengers advised to check their travel arrangements.
York-based rail firm LNER, which operates the East Coast Main Line, has said it will still be running trains on the strike days, but with a reduced timetable.
Other train firms which operate services to York have also warned train customers that, while some services will run, disruption is likely.
These include TransPennine Express, whose services run from York to cities including Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool, and to Malton and Scarborough; Northern, whose services run from York to Leeds and CrossCountry, whose services run from York to cities including Birmingham and Bristol.
The operators have warned that disruption is also likely on days either side of the strikes due to overnight walk outs.
Amid talks between ministers and other unions, Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, told Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme that he has not met a Government minister since January despite strike action continuing.
“No contact,” he said. “They seem to pick out the RMT as a special category where they can’t negotiate on a reasonable basis.
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“We’re available to talk to them, but I don’t think I’ve met a Government minister since January, and even the employers now have stopped negotiating.
“So I don’t know whether they’re waiting for all this other stuff to be cleared out the way. We don’t know if there’s going to be settlements yet – they’re out for referendum and consultation with their members, we’ll see.
“They’ve certainly offered the others more than we’ve been offered. There’s no strings attached to those deals; we’ve got to accept a whole host of change and dilution to those terms and conditions, and job losses.”
Mr Lynch said strikes will continue until an agreement is reached.
Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “I think the Government’s got to recognise – I think it has recognised – its early approach was completely wrong.
“And actually the lack of respect they’ve shown for a lot of the public sector, I think, has been one of the aggravating factors in the industrial action we’ve seen.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “This Government has played its part by facilitating fair and reasonable pay offers that would see generous increases for rail workers.
“Union leaders should stop blocking their members from having a vote on these offers and give them the chance to help resolve this dispute.”
More information about the strikes can be found on the Network Rail website: https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
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