Newcastle RMT strikes August 2022: What dates will strikes take place - which rail companies, routes affected?

Rail passengers can expect to see further disruption this summer as RMT has confirmed strike action will take place in August.

So, what services from Newcastle could be affected by the strikes?

Here’s everything you need to know about the strike action.

When will strike action take place in August?

RMT confirmed that further strike action will take place on Thursday 18 August and Saturday 20 August.

What train companies will be affected?

RMT confirmed that members from the following companies will take strike action:

• Avanti West Coast
• C2C
• Chiltern Railways
• Cross Country Trains
• East Midlands Railway
• Gatwick Express
• Great Western Railway
• Greater Anglia
• LNER
• Northern Trains
• Southeastern
• South Western Railway
• Southern
• Thameslink
• West Midlands Trains
• TransPennine Express
• London Underground (19 August)

Why is the strike action happening?

The strike action follows a dispute between workers and rail companies over working conditions, pay and job security.

Union leaders rejected a 4% pay rise offer from Network Rail, and have called for a pay rise of at least 7% for its workers which is still below the current inflation rate of 9.4%.

In May of this year 40,000 RMT members were balloted to vote on whether or not to take strike action 89% of voters voted in favour of the action.

What Newcastle services will be affected?

The following is a list of companies that runs services to and from key places in Newcastle and across the country:

• LNER 
• Northern Trains
• Cross Country Trains 
• Transpennine Express

Customers are advised to check with their train company before travel and keep up to date on the latest updates via their website.

What has Mick Lynch said about the matter?

In an interview with Sky News the RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “What we want to do is get a settlement.”

“It’s a straightforward industrial dispute on jobs, pay and conditions and we could do that if Grant Shapps would allow the companies to negotiate freely.”

“What we’ve got here is a protracted dispute because of the stance of this government and because of Grant Shapps’ attitude and his approach towards industrial relations.”

“So if companies were allowed to act as all the other companies are, we would get a settlement.”

What has the government said about the strikes?

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps spoke with Sky News on Wednesday 27 July and ruled out a meeting with the rail unions.

Shapps, the transport secretary, ruled out any meeting with rail unions even if the situation continues or escalates. In an interview with Sky News on Wednesday morning, Shapps said he was “not the right person to be in the room negotiating”.

Shapps also released a statement via the UK Government website in which he said:

“Today (27 July 2022), union bosses are once again trying to cause as much disruption as possible to the day-to-day lives of millions of hardworking people around the country.”

“What’s more, it has been cynically timed to disrupt the start of the Commonwealth Games and crucial Euro 2022 semi-finals, in a deliberate bid to impact the travel of thousands trying to attend events the whole country is looking forward to.”

He ended his statement by calling for the strikes to end.

Shapps said: “Unfortunately, it’s too late to call off today’s damaging strikes but I urge the RMT and indeed all unions to stop holding the country to ransom with the threat of further industrial action and get off picket lines and back around the negotiating table.”

“If not, we risk passengers turning their backs on the railway for good.”