Could there be more train strikes in 2023?

Strikes by railway workers have been going on since summer 2022.

And commuters have already seen empty train stations and severely disrupted routes over several days in 2023.

If you’ve been affected by all the travel chaos, you might be wondering if you can expect more strike action to come throughout the next few months and rest of the year.

While no one can predict the future, here’s what we know about the possibility of more industrial action.

Could more rail strikes really be en route?

Could there be more train strikes in 2023?

At the time of writing, no further rail strike dates have been announced, after industrial action last took place on February 3.

However, it is possible there could be more train strikes to come later in 2023.

As of February 1, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) said it was consulting members on a revised pay offer from Network Rail.

A spokesperson for the union said: ‘We have received a revised offer from Network Rail and our NEC will consider its contents.

‘No decision has been made on the proposals nor any of the elements within them. We will now consult members through branch and regional meetings. An update on our next steps will be forthcoming in due course.’

In a news bulletin dated February 6, RMT added that its members were still being consulted on the offer.

However, if the long-running dispute over pay, job security and working terms and conditions isn’t resolved, the RMT can still decide to hold more strike days in future.

Back in November 2022, the union secured a six month mandate from its members for strikes against Network Rail and 14 different train operating companies.

This means strikes could be held until around May 2023 without the need to take another ballot of members.

RMT is not the only union to have arranged walkouts in recent months.

The union Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) says on its website that it settled its own dispute with Network Rail in December 2022 – though it is still in the midst of a dispute with all train operating companies run by Department for Transport (DfT).

Currently, the TSSA is balloting its members at these companies once more, asking them to vote ‘Yes’ to both strike action and action short of strike. The vote closes on February 28.

The results of the ballot will likely be shared sometime after this date.

Another union, the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen aka Aslef, could also decide on more strikes in the future.

Aslef represents the majority of train drivers in England, Scotland and Wales, and secured a six month mandate from members at 12 rail companies back in December 2022.

The union is involved a dispute over pay and terms and conditions with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) – a membership body which comprises Network Rail and other rail companies – and argues that its members have not received a salary uplift since 2019.

The RDG put forth a pay increase offer in January 2023, which was rejected by Aslef.

General secretary Mick Whelan said on January 17: ‘It’s now clear to our members, and to the public, that this was never about reform or modernisation but an attempt to get hundreds of millions of pounds of productivity for a 20% pay cut…

‘They want to rip up our terms and conditions in return for a real-terms pay cut! It was clearly a rushed offer… and not one, it seems to me, that was designed to be accepted.’

A spokesperson for the RDG said on its website: ‘It’s disappointing our fair and affordable offer, which would take average driver base salaries from £60,000 to nearly £65,000 by the end of 2023 pay awards, wasn’t put to the Aslef members…

‘We ask Aslef to recognise the very real financial challenge the industry is facing and work with us to deliver a better railway with a strong long-term future.’

RDG chairman Steve Montgomery then said on February 3 that talks with Aslef had ‘not moved on as quickly’ as they would have liked – though added he was ‘hopeful’ that the RMT offer would put an end to strikes.

For updates on the disputes, you can visit the RMT, TSSA and Aslef websites.

The National Rail website also shares updates regarding industrial action as and when it occurs – such as planned dates and which train companies are set to be affected.

For the latest on any strikes affecting Transport for London (TfL) services, visit the TfL website’s strike section.

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