Saturday 18 March 2023 08:24, UK
Train passengers have been warned of a much-reduced service today as workers walk out in the latest round of strikes.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at 14 train operators are taking industrial action in their long-running dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.
The strike will impact 18 different rail companies because some of the operators involved in the dispute run multiple train firms.
It is expected that nationally between 40% and 50% of train services will run on Saturday.
However, rail bosses warn there will be wide variations across the network - with the possibility of no services at all in some areas.
Services could also be disrupted on Sunday morning as a knock-on effect from Saturday's strike action.
Football fans and families travelling to weekend leisure events will be among those affected, with passengers warned to check for schedule updates before they travel.
Steve Montgomery, who chairs the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the train operators in the dispute, said the latest round of strikes will be "a further inconvenience to our customers, who have already experienced months of disruption".
"They will also be asking why the RMT leadership blocked the chance to resolve this dispute by refusing to give their members - many of whom would have benefited from a 13% increase - a say on their own deal."
Warning of disruption, he added: "Unfortunately, while we will pull out all the stops to keep as many trains running as possible, there will be reduced services across many parts of the rail network on strike days, so our advice is to check before you travel."
Saturday's strike action comes after RMT members walked out on Thursday, while more stoppages are planned on 30 March and 1 April.
The RMT said that more than 20,000 workers will be taking strike action unless there is a negotiated settlement.
General secretary Mick Lynch said: "The private rail companies are in complete chaos, unable to make an improved offer to resolve our dispute and demonstrably failing to run the railways when we're not on strike.
"FirstGroup in particular is like an out-of-control wrecking ball, only fit to make money for its City bosses.
"Avanti and TransPennine Express are both an abject disgrace but their owners made £90m out of the railways in dividends over the last two years despite running appalling levels of service.
"The RDG need to sort themselves out and settle our dispute with an improved offer."
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Last week, the RMT announced it had suspended separate strikes, involving Network Rail staff, in order to put a "new and improved" pay offer to its members for a vote.
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The offer amounts to an uplift on salaries of between 14.4% for the lowest paid grades to 9.2% for the highest paid, it said.
The referendum of union members will end at midday on 20 March.
It comes as security guards at Heathrow Airport are to strike over Easter while more than 1,000 Passport Office staff across the UK will strike for five weeks starting in April.
While junior doctors and the government are set to enter talks following a 72-hour-strike which saw more than 175,000 appointments reorganised.