Members were due to walk out for 24 hours on Saturday 5th, Monday 7th and Wednesday 9th November. Despite calling off today’s strike, Network Rail said the too late notice meant services “cannot be restored and will remain extremely limited”. Chief negotiator Tim Shoveler said there would also be “limited scope to change the ‘strike schedule’ for Monday”. “Our advice remains to check before traveling on both Saturday and Monday and only travel by rail if absolutely necessary,” he said. The strikes were called over jobs, wages and conditions and first started in June. RMT officials said that instead of strike action, the union would now “enter a period of intensive negotiations with Network Rail”, with the train operators promising a pay deal. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “The threat of strike action and our strongly supported industrial campaign has put rail employers on notice. “We have always wanted to secure a negotiated settlement and that is what we will continue to push for in this next phase of intensive talks. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 4:51 Disruption ‘inevitable’ in strikes says RMT boss Mick Lynch “Our priority is our members and we are working to secure an agreement on job security, a decent pay rise and good working conditions.” He added that the RMT’s plans remain “very much alive” and a re-ballot on further strikes will be completed on November 15. Merseyrail said its services would be partially restored on Saturday as a result of the strike being stopped. Rugby fans traveling to Cardiff for the Wales v New Zealand game will be among those affected by today’s disruption. A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group said it was “positive” that the union had backed down on industrial action, but it was unfortunate that services were unlikely to be restored in such a short time. “We remain committed to intensive negotiations to agree the reforms needed to improve reliability, raise wages for our people and put the industry back on a sustainable economic footing,” they said. The regular strike has crippled the rail network for several months, leaving many Britons unable to meet work or personal obligations. Several other industries, including NHS workers, are voting for strike action amid calls for pay rises to reduce inflation amid the cost of living crisis. For details of which rail services are running and journey disruptions, see National Rail
