Introduction: Travel disruption will continue; The border force and driving examiners are also on strike
Good morning and welcome to our continuing coverage of business, financial markets and the global economy.
UK commuters could face travel disruption when they return to the office after the Christmas break as industrial action by rail workers continues.
Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) at Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains are going on strike for 24 hours from midday today.
West Midlands says its services will not run today or tomorrow due to TSSA industrial action.
Great Western expects to operate a significantly reduced level of service until Friday, warning that trains are expected to be very busy.
It has advised passengers to check their journeys before travelling, especially if traveling late at night, as alterations or cancellations are likely at short notice.
There were chaotic scenes at some railway stations yesterday, with hundreds of passengers stuck in long queues at major stations on Tuesday and others facing long delays due to ongoing engineering work.
One traveler spoke of “chaotic” scenes and another described fights breaking out as “too many” people waited in the cold for rail replacement buses on the Avanti West Coast line between Manchester and London.
Here’s the full story:
TSSA members in CrossCountry went on strike from 9pm on Christmas Day until 9pm last night.
The TSSA says strikes at these three operators will cause a serious impact on scheduled rail services, particularly in the Midlands and the South West.
Hundreds of TSSA members at CrossCountry, Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains will go on strike between December 26 and 29 with a serious impact on rail services, particularly in the Midlands and South West. Full story 👇🚆https://t.co/wCIkYYpWIy
— TSSA (@TSSAunion) December 21, 2022
Travelers arriving in the UK could face longer waits at passport control today. Border force staff at six UK airports are back on strike today in a dispute over pay.
Around 1,000 members of the PCS union will walk out until New Year’s Day, at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow airports, and at the port of Newhaven.
The UK border will remain open, with armed forces personnel being drafted in to help, but passport checks may take longer than usual.
Are you arriving from outside the UK? There may be longer waits at Passport Control today due to Border Force strikes 🛂
Use electronic gates if you have a biometric passport 🇬🇧🇪🇺🇺🇸🇨🇦+ and remove from any case/holders 📘📖
Allow extra time for your journeyℹ pic.twitter.com/Qr3BBGU9KP
— Gatwick Airport LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) December 26, 2022
This follows a strike by the Border Force before Christmas. Our home affairs editor Rajeev Syal revealed on Saturday that soldiers and sailors covering striking staff at passport control do not have the power to detain people suspected of criminal activity.
The leaked emails showed that people suspected of crimes such as carrying a fake passport, drug trafficking, human trafficking and victims of modern slavery cannot be stopped by members of the armed forces if they have travel documents valid
Instead, a separate intervention should be sought for suspected serious criminals or their victims by a fully trained Border Force officer.
Driving examiners are starting a five-day strike today, as part of escalating industrial action by civil servants in a dispute over pay, jobs and pensions.
Members of the Commercial and Public Services (PCS) union at 71 test centers in the East of England and the Midlands are to walk out.
They are employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) as driving examiners and local driving test managers.
The strike action may affect car driving tests, motorcycle tests, lorry, bus, coach and minibus driving tests, tractor or specialist vehicle driving tests, approved driving instructor (ADI) driving tests ) or instructional ability tests, or ADI standards checks or basic training. controls for moped and motorcycle users.
the agenda
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15:00 GMT: US pending home sales for November
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15:00 GMT: Richmond Fed manufacturing and services indices
Updated at 08.15 GMT
Key events
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Key events (3) TSSA (4)
News in town: DP Eurasia, which runs the Domino’s Pizza brand in Turkey and Russia, is considering selling its Russian operations, 10 months after the war in Ukraine began.
DP Eurasia says it is “assessing its presence in Russia”, the impact of the sanctions and “its continued ability to serve its clients in Russia”.
It told shareholders it is working on a potential sale, saying:
Accordingly, the company is considering several options that may include a divestment of its Russian operations.
Although a potential transaction is being worked on, there is no certainty as to the outcome.
Earlier this month, DP Eurasia was named in the House of Commons as one of the companies still doing business in Russia.
Here are the details of the TSSA strike action.
Our members at Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains are on strike for 24 hours from midday today. Nobody wants to be on strike, but the government has left rail workers with no choice – their offer didn’t even cover many workershttps://t.co/wCIkYYpWIy
— TSSA (@TSSAunion) December 28, 2022
Is a rail deal “close”?
The Daily Mail reports today that rail unions and industry bosses are “almost there” in their efforts to agree a pay deal, with RMT union boss Mick Lynch apparently softening his stance and s ‘he has returned more “converted” than before.
Asked about this, TSSA organizing director Nadine Rae reiterates that the government should give the green light to train operators to “trade freely”.
She explains to the Avui program:
Things haven’t changed since before Christmas in terms of a deal.
It is still within the government’s gift to ensure that employers can negotiate freely with us and that they can reach an agreement that is acceptable to our members and affordable to employers.
Q: But is it too optimistic to say that a deal is “on the horizon”?
He is not optimistic if the government allows businessmen to negotiate freely, Rae replies, adding:
It is the government that has to change this situation, and we really want them to do it. We know that disruption is frustrating for people.
Updated at 08.45 GMT
TSSA: The government has interfered in the negotiation process
Nadine Rae, organizing director of the TSSA union, says government interference has undermined negotiations with train operators over a pay deal.
Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, Rae says TSSA members are very excited that a deal can be reached with their employers, as the union reached an agreement with Network Rail this month (over a minimum wage increase of 9%, job security until 2025, and guarantees in terms and conditions).
Rae says the government needs to give permission to train operating companies to come forward with a deal with the union, and “that’s where things have stalled”.
The TSSA held nearly four weeks of talks with train operators before Christmas, he says, adding:
Although we thought the talks were moving forward, what came out of it at the end was something completely different from what we were talking about.
Which tells us that the government has interfered in the negotiation process.
Q: If the government got the money, are you prepared to accept changes to working practices that are already happening in parts of the rail network?
Rae says TSSA members are “absolutely realistic” that rail change is required and want to engage with the issues properly, with deep and proper discussions and consultations.
There is no “resistance to change”, he insists, but these changes should leave people with job security and be safe.
Negotiations are currently being used to “facilitate change” without such proper consultation taking place, Rae adds.
Gatwick has told passengers there may be longer waits at Passport Control today due to Border Force strikes.
Arrivals are advised to use electronic gates if they have an eligible biometric passport and to remove hats, headphones and masks.
Are you arriving from outside the UK? There may be longer waits at Passport Control today due to Border Force strikes 🛂
Use electronic gates if you have an eligible biometric passport, remove hats, headphones and masks 👒🎧
Allow extra time for your journeyℹ pic.twitter.com/3HqXeSCLJ1
— Gatwick Airport LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) December 28, 2022
Passengers have been told to brace for “major disruption” to travel in the new year amid a wave of industrial unrest sweeping the country.
Network Rail issued the warning yesterday as the series of long-running disputes over pay and working conditions grips the railways.
Rail passengers should brace for ‘significantly disrupted’ journeys into the New Year amid a wave of industrial unrest sweeping the UK, says Network Rail https://t.co/uODZraN5sq
— Bloomberg (@business) December 27, 2022
Updated at 0750 GMT
Introduction: Travel disruption will continue; The border force and driving examiners are also on strike
Good morning and welcome to our continuing coverage of business, financial markets and the global economy.
UK commuters could face travel disruption when they return to the office after the Christmas break as industrial action by rail workers continues.
Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) at Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains are going on strike for 24 hours from midday today.
West Midlands says its services will not run today or tomorrow due to TSSA industrial action.
Great Western expects to operate a significantly reduced level of service until Friday, warning that trains are expected to be very busy.
He has advised passengers to…