Northern issue 'do not travel' warning for first week of 2023
Train operator Northern has issued a "do not travel" warning ahead of strikes in the first week of 2023.
Trade unions RMT and ASLEF will conduct strike action between Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 January.
The industrial action taking place includes two 48-hour walk outs by the RMT on 3-4 and 6-7 January; and ASLEF members staging a one-day strike on 5 January.
With strike action taking place there are set to be only around 20% of services throughout the country that will operate and half of the network will be closed.
Throughout strike days, thousands of specially trained back-up staff will be in place to keep some services running.
Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: “This is a most regrettable start to 2023 and we can only apologise to our customers whose return to work from the holidays will be disrupted by the action by the RMT and ASLEF.
“For many, Monday 9 January will be their first experience of our new timetable – which went live in December and includes an additional 3,000 services a week across our network.
“As such, we’re encouraging everyone to use the new ‘Check My Timetable’ feature on our website to see the changes specific to their local station.”
Daniel Mann, director of industry operations at the Rail Delivery Group, said: “No one wants to see these strikes go ahead, and we can only apologise to passengers and to the many businesses who will be hit by this unnecessary and damaging disruption.
“We would advise passengers to only travel if it is absolutely necessary during this period, allow extra time and check when their first and last train will depart.
"Passengers with tickets for between 3-7 January can use their ticket the day before the ticket date, or up to and including Tuesday 10 January.
"This dispute will only be resolved by agreeing the long overdue reforms to working arrangements needed to put the industry on a sustainable footing, rather than unions condemning their members to losing more pay in the new year.”
The RMT state that both pay offers from Network Rail and the train operating companies are well below what has been agreed in Scotland, Wales and where metro mayors have control of the rail franchise.
The rejected offer on Network Rail was also conditional on ripping up working conditions for railway workers, including unsafe practices for the travelling public such as a 50% cut in scheduled maintenance tasks and an unacceptable hike in unsocial hours.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "The union remains available for talks to resolve this dispute.
"But until the government gives the rail industry a mandate to come to a negotiated settlement on job security, pay and condition of work, our industrial campaign will continue into the new year, if necessary."
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