Rail strike: Your questions answered as RMT workers vote for biggest strike action in decades

ITV News Correspondent Rupert Evelyn reports on the possibility of the biggest strike in the rail industry since it was privatised in the mid-1990s

Railway workers have voted overwhelmingly to strike in a bitter dispute over jobs, pay and conditions - a move that threatens massive disruption to rail networks in the coming weeks.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail and 15 train operators backed launching a campaign of industrial action.

The union's leaders will now decide when to call strikes, which will bring huge parts of the network to a standstill.

It's a move that comes just days after Scotrail announced almost a third of services would be cut under a temporary timetable which could be in place for weeks as drivers stage industrial action, the company has said.

RMT said it was the biggest endorsement for industrial action by railway workers since privatisation.

A total of 71% of those balloted took part in the vote with 89% voting in favour of strike action and 11% voting against.

The union will now be demanding urgent talks with Network Rail and the 15 train operating companies.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "Today's overwhelming endorsement by railway workers is a vindication of the union's approach and sends a clear message that members want a decent pay rise, job security and no compulsory redundancies.

"Our NEC will now meet to discuss a timetable for strike action from mid-June, but we sincerely hope ministers will encourage the employers to return to the negotiating table and hammer out a reasonable settlement with the RMT."

What does the strike mean for services?

A walkout by Network Rail signallers will have a significant impact on services.

Trains may only run for part of the day, such as from 7am to 7pm and only on main lines.

Services could be reduced to around a fifth of the normal weekday timetable.

Who has voted to strike and why?

The RMT said it balloted more than 40,000 of its members at Network Rail and the following train operating companies: Chiltern Railways Cross Country Trains, Greater Anglia, LNER, East Midlands Railway, c2c, Great Western Railway, Northern Trains, South Eastern Railway, South Western Railway, Island Line, Govia Thameslink (including Gatwick Express), Transpennine Express, Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Trains.

The union says Network Rail intends to cut at least 2,500 maintenance jobs as part of a £2 billion reduction in network spending, while train companies' staff have been subject to pay freezes, threats to jobs, and attacks on their terms and conditions.

What's the reaction been?

Andrew Haines, Network Rail's chief executive, said: "The RMT has jumped the gun here as everyone loses if there's a strike. We know our people are concerned about job security and pay.

"As a public body, we have been working on offering a pay increase that taxpayers can afford, and we continue to discuss this with our trades unions.

"We urge the RMT to sit down with us and continue to talk, not walk so that we can find a compromise and avoid damaging industrial action.

"We are at a key point in the railway's recovery from the pandemic. The taxpayer has provided the industry with £16 billion worth of additional life support over the last two years, and that cannot continue.

"Travel habits have changed forever, and the railway has to change as well to adapt to this new reality. 

"We believe that by modernising – creating safer jobs for our people and operating the railway more efficiently – we can build a sustainable future with a railway that delivers for passengers and taxpayers.

"Any industrial action now would be disastrous for our industry's recovery and would hugely impact vital supply and freight chains. 

"It would also serve to undermine our collective ability to afford the pay increases we want to make."

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If strikes go ahead, they would cost the rail industry around £30 million each day, according to sources.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Strikes should always be the last resort, not the first, so it is hugely disappointing and premature that the RMT is calling for industrial action before even entering discussions.

“Taxpayers across the country contributed £16 billion to keep our railways running throughout the pandemic while ensuring not a single worker lost their job.

“The railway is still on life support, with passenger numbers 25% down, and anything that drives away even more of them risks killing services and jobs. Train travel for millions more people is now a choice, not a necessity. Strikes stop our customers choosing rail, and they might never return.

“We urge the RMT to reconsider and accept the invitation of industry talks, so we can find a solution that delivers for workers, passengers and taxpayers alike.”