TSSA announce Avanti strike action 15 and 17 September

TSSA has announced further strike action in September across Avanti West Coast in an escalation of the ongoing dispute over pay, job security and conditions.

The action will cover the period from 00:01 to 23:59 on Thursday 15 September and Saturday 17 September, with TSSA members in station grades at Avanti West Coast asked not to turn up for work during this period. The latest strike dates are set to align with industrial action announced by RMT also on 15 and 17 September.

The move comes after the union wrote to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and thirteen train operating companies last week to express concern over the lack of meaningful negotiations following over five thousand TSSA members walking out on strike on Thursday 18 August, and Saturday 20 August, the biggest TSSA strike in a generation.

TSSA are seeking for their members a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies, a pay rise which meets the cost-of-living crisis and no unagreed changes to terms and conditions.

TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, said: “Our members do not want to strike. But the only people who can move this dispute forward, Grant Shapps and the Train Operating Companies, are refusing to meet us at the negotiating table.

“It is extremely frustrating that these companies are refusing to comply with these long-established means of resolving issues between workers and their employer.

“Our union is committed to finding a negotiated settlement in this dispute which works for our members and for our passengers and our taxpayers alike. But if Shapps will not work with us or give Train Operating Companies the mandate to find a suitable resolution, our members will be forced to take industrial action until they are listened to.

“Grant Shapps and those running the operating companies are showing a shocking lack of regard for workers, passengers and taxpayers. We invite them to join us at the negotiation table urgently”

ENDS

Notes to editors 

*Last week hundreds of TSSA members at TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains voted overwhelmingly for strike action.  

 *TSSA members took strike action on 20 August in Network Rail General Grades (Bands 5-8) and Controllers, Avanti West Coast, c2c, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, LNER and Southeastern on 18 and 20 August.