LONDON — Train passengers have been hit by another day of disruption as train drivers and other rail staff went on strike, BBC News reports.
Services across northern England and north Wales were brought to a standstill during rush hour because of stoppages by workers for two train companies.
The latest round of strikes comes after workers at Silverlink Trains, serving London and the Midlands, voted on Thursday to strike in a dispute over pay.
Manchester’s Piccadilly station was almost deserted as union members on Arriva Trains Northern staged the latest 48-hour strike.
A total of 600 members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) agreed to industrial action after pay talks with the company failed to reach agreement.
This follows seven days of industrial action over recent months.
Union leaders have accused the company of treating workers with “contempt” following a recent announcement of a big increase in profits for Arriva’s parent
firm.
The company said it ran more than half of services during the last strike last month and hoped to run more trains on Friday.
Meanwhile hundreds of train drivers are staging the second of three 24-hour strikes against First North Western on Friday over disciplinary action.
Strike vote
All the company’s services were cancelled on Monday because of the dispute over the sacking of a driver who went through two consecutive red lights.
The drivers’ union Aslef has said that it was also protesting against harsh treatment of other members.
First North Western apologised for the disruption but said passenger safety was paramount
On Thursday conductors at Silverlink backed industrial action by 64 votes to 56.
RMT leaders will decide what form the industrial action should take but no strike dates have been set.
Industrial action by workers on the Tyne & Wear Metro planned for Monday was called off on 4 April after a new pay offer was made.
The train drivers’ union Aslef will now put the offer to workers in a ballot.
Services on the Metro were disrupted by a strike on Tuesday.