Rail operator strike to cause travel disruption for passengers

Rail passengers travelling with West Midlands Railway are facing disruption this week due to planned strike action.

Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) are in an ongoing dispute over pay and have confirmed the industrial action will go ahead as planned, after the Tube strikes in London were called off.

The walkout will affect services in Birmingham and the Black Country, Wolverhampton, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The strikes, involving roster clerks, duty train crew managers, and control staff, are expected to severely impact services across the network.

TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: "As things stand, these strikes will go ahead as planned because the company is simply refusing to give our members parity with those in other unions. That is an intolerable situation, especially given the fact these are modest demands."

Ms Eslamdoust added the union's representatives had consulted their membership, who "remain determined to proceed with their legitimate action", adding the union "only takes strike action as a last resort". The union is seeking parity with other unions on rest day pay.

West Midlands Railway has since advised customers to "only travel if necessary" on Friday and Saturday. The operator confirmed services on both days will be very limited, running on a small number of routes and adhering to a reduced timetable.

Passengers should note there will be no trains operating after 7pm on Friday, and services will not commence until 7am on Saturday.

It comes after strikes planned for Tuesday and Thursday by London Underground drivers in the capital were called off at the last minute.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union previously announced that its members were due to walk out for 24 hours from midday on Tuesday, and again on Thursday from midday.

A union spokesperson said: “At the 11th hour, the employer has shifted its position, allowing us to further explore our members’ concerns around the imposition of new rosters, fatigue and safety issues.

“The dispute is not over and more strike action will follow if we fail to make sufficient progress.”

Strikes scheduled for 16 and 18 June have also been called off, but the union announced new 24-hour strike dates on 2 and 4 June if the dispute remains unresolved.

The union says its members oppose a new four-day working week arrangement on the underground, but the Aslef train drivers’ union, which represents a slight majority of Tube drivers, has backed Transport for London proposal.