United Kingdom: Railroad strikes September 1-4

Event

Members of the Rail, Maritime, and Transport (RMT) union at Southern Railway and Arriva Rail North are planning to strike on Friday, September 1, and Monday, September 4. Meanwhile, employees of Merseyrail will strike on those days as well as on Sunday, September 3. The industrial action comes in protest of the government’s continuation of controversial plans to extend driver-only operation of trains, thus threatening the jobs of those in safety and support roles. Further information regarding the extent of service disruptions will be released in the coming weeks.

Context

Railway strikes are relatively common in the United Kingdom. In January, Southern Railway workers engaged in a three-day strike as part of a long-term plan to bring management to the bargaining table regarding the staffing of trains.

Advice

Travelers are advised to expect significant disruptions on services provided by the abovementioned railways and should make arrangements for alternative means of transportation on those dates.