Rail passengers are facing up to five months of disruption on the West Coast Main Line as the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union launches a series of Sunday strikes from January 12 to May 25.
The move follows the rejection of Avanti West Coast’s latest pay offer, with more than four-fifths of train managers voting against in a recent referendum.
Avanti West Coast, which operates high-speed services between London, the North West and Scotland, has warned the strikes will cause “significant disruption” to customers after saying it was disappointed with the outcome of the vote. The company claims it has made a “very reasonable revised offer” to resolve the long-running dispute over working on the rest day and a so-called “new technology payment” for electronic ticket scanning.
The RMT, led by Mick Lynch, previously suspended strikes before Christmas after Avanti submitted a revised proposal. However, union leaders have decided to resume and expand industrial action, blaming what they call the company’s inability to reach a fair deal. The dispute centers on convincing guards to work on fixed rest days, including Sundays, to deal with staff shortages and avoid schedule disruptions.
Avanti, which has been criticized for poor punctuality in recent months, was the worst-performing train operator between July and September, with just 41 percent of its services arriving on time, compared to a national average of 67 percent. The franchise escaped an early nationalization threat after reporting improvements, but remains under scrutiny by the government, which ultimately controls spending.
Industry observers suggest the RMT may be playing hardball in seeking a more generous package from the Treasury, given Avanti’s dependence on public financing. The union’s decision to escalate the dispute with five months of planned strikes underlines the ongoing volatility in the UK rail sector, which is worrying businesses and commuters alike.