West Midlands Train strike action: Friday 4 November 00:01 to 23:59

Close up of a strike ballot paper with an x in the yes box. — Strike action ballot

West Midlands Train strike action: Friday 4 November 2022

Following the successful members' strike ballot and your reps' decision to take industrial action at WMT,

All TSSA members employed by West Midlands Trains are instructed not to commence work between
00:01 on Friday 4 November 2022 to 23:59 on Friday 4 November 2022.

Strike action will therefore take place for the whole of the shifts commencing during this period. Accordingly, strike action will also take place on Saturday 5^th November 2022 in respect of any members expected to commence shifts before 2359 Friday 4th November 2022 that run into Saturday 5th November 2022.

For background information via our website, click here

All TSSA members employed by WMT who are due to start work between 00:01 and 23:59 on Friday 4 November are instructed not to book on for work.

Do not book on for any shift that starts on Friday 4 November

This applies to rostered on-call and other duties.

Effective from 00:01 on Saturday 1 October and continuing until the end of the 6 month period, which is 6 January, all TSSA members employed by WMT are instructed to observe a ban on activities associated with voluntary contingency cover.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote in the ballots for industrial action.

We are liaising closely with our brothers and sisters in other rail unions RMT and Aslef and are engaging with your TSSA West Midlands Trains reps about next steps and action throughout our campaign.

Our Rail our Future

More information on our national campaign to protect pay, jobs and conditions, is available here

Members’ support for industrial action at WMT supports our demand for negotiation on pay during the cost of living crisis, job security and protecting terms and conditions as the Government and Rail Employers threaten severe cuts through Rail Reform and the transition to Great British Railways (which may or may not continue to be a realistic proposition according to this week’s media reports (Guardian link here).

So far, WMT and other DfT controlled TOCs have refused to give a commitment to no compulsory redundancies or engage on details of reorganisation plans with your reps. The action will demonstrate to your employer that WMT staff in TSSA grades are unionised and to demand that industrial democracy means that your jobs will not be allowed to simply “disappear” as in many de-unionised sectors.

Why should I strike now?

TSSA representatives of members employed by WMT met to discuss next steps and unanimously agreed to support action on the above days as part of our ongoing campaign.

Rail workers are seeing the worsening effects of the growing economic, social and political crises engulfing the nation and need WMT to give commitments to a fair pay rise, job security and to protect terms and conditions.

The effects of this day of strike action by TSSA members at WMT will demonstrate a significant level of solidarity based on a strong democratic mandate. .

Taking action will increase the pressure on WMT to do what is necessary to offer a deal to TSSA reps and members to bring the dispute to an end.

Please speak to your TSSA reps for more information, and thank you again for taking part in this historic campaign to protect pay, jobs and conditions.