About 40,000 employees of the Railway Network and 14 train operator companies iStarting from today new strike in England which will spread on the 4th, 6th and 7th of January, close most of it rail service across the country, according to a statement published on the website of the National Union of Railway, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT, for its English acronym).

“Both Network Rail and Rail Delivery Group are suffering direct blockade of government ministers which prevented them from presenting acceptable proposals job security, wages and working conditions”. read the text, according to the RTenespañol report.

From the RMT they show that despite “best efforts” by unions over the Christmas period, the railroad operator has yet to enter into formal negotiations to resolve the current situation. In this sense, they state that they remain available 24 hours a day to sit at the dialogue table to reach a negotiated solution.

“The government is blocking union efforts to reach a negotiated agreement with the railroad,” said Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT.

Counter point

He also added that there was an “unprecedented” level of interference by the UK Department for Transportensure that this government entity prevents the railroad operator from being able to do so negotiating action packages with workers who support the strike.

On the other hand, the text highlights that wage increases of between 6.6% and 29% have been achieved with companies such as Scotrail, Transport for Wales, Eurostar and in areas where the central government was not involved.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation stated that the government had shown a “reasonable” attitude and was ready to facilitate the resolution of the railway problems. Besides that, urged the unions to withdraw from this strike to start 2023 by “ending this destructive dispute”.