Why are the November 2022 rail strikes happening and when are they?

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), will strike on November 3, 5, and 7.

As part of separate disputes, RMT members on London Overground, and London Underground, will also be striking on November 3.

RMT have accused Network Rail of trying to impose “drastic changes” in working practices on its staff, and the union is concerned that the firm is reaching out to workers directly, which it claims is undermining “delicate talks”.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “The dishonesty of Network Rail bosses has reached a new low in this national rail dispute.

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“On the one hand, they were telling our negotiators that they were prepared to do a deal while planning to torpedo negotiations by imposing unacceptable changes to our members’ terms and conditions.

“Our members are livid with these duplicitous tactics, and they will now respond in kind with sustained strike action.”

In November, the industrial action will take place on Thursday, November 3, Saturday, November 5, and Monday, November 7, it's likely that only one in five trains will be running, with no rail services at all across large swathes of the country.

The strike days will impact all days between November 3 to 8.

After each strike, early trains the next day will be affected, with about 75 per cent of services likely to be operating on Friday, November 4, Sunday, November 6, and Tuesday, November 8, according to the Independent.

It's likely these services will be busy, with customers unable to travel on other days.

The RMT has co-ordinated the rail strike with industrial action, in separate rows featuring London Underground and London Overground workers.

There are multiple disputes that involve many different employers.

Tim Shoveller, Network Rail’s chief negotiator, said: “A two-year eight per cent deal, with discounted travel and a new extended job guarantee to January 2025, is on the table ready to be put to our staff.

“Unfortunately, the leadership of the RMT seems intent on more damaging strikes rather than giving their members a vote on our offer.

“Me and my team remain available for serious talks and continue to negotiate in good faith.

“Our sector has a £2 billion hole in its budget with many fewer passengers using our services.

“That reality is not going to change anytime soon and a fair and affordable and improved deal is on the table, ready to be implemented if our people were only offered the opportunity.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “This is incredibly disappointing. Through no fault of their own, millions of people will once again have their day-to-day lives disrupted and be unable to attend work, school, or vital doctor’s appointments.

“Our railway is in desperate need of modernisation but all more strikes will do is take it back to the dark ages and push passengers further away.

“We urge union bosses to reconsider this divisive action and instead work with employers, not against them, to agree a new way forward.”

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan told the Independent: “What we need is for the Government to take the shackles off the privateers.

“The privateers have entered into a contract [with the Government], not to offer more than two per cent on pay. When we talk to the Government, they tell us to go and talk to the people we work for.

“Everybody we work for is paying out to their shareholders. Everybody we work for is turning over hundreds of millions of pounds out of the taxpayer. Yet the people that are generating that money, all railway workers and train drivers, are not getting their share.”

When asked when the strikes could end, he said: “It ends when someone talks to us.”