More organisations have spoken following a vote by members of the RMT which was overwhelmingly in favour of striking across Network Rail and the train operators.
The TSSA said it stood in solidarity with its “sister union”, with its general secretary Manuel Cortes, saying: “Our TSSA union congratulates sister rail union RMT on their historic ballot result which clearly shows the strength of feeling among rail workers.”
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He accused the heads of Network Rail “crying wolf” and accused them of “having a go” at rail workers. The initial response from Network Rail to the strike vote can be read here.
Cortes added: “We send solidarity to RMT. In the face of the Tory cost-of-living crisis we must stand up for our members’ jobs, conditions and the future of our railways. TSSA stands ready to ballot our members.”
Meanwhile, Maggie Simpson from the Rail Freight Group said: Maggie Simpson OBE, Director General, Rail Freight Group, said: “Any strike action risks severe disruption to the economy if key freight services cannot run. We urge Government, Network Rail and the Unions to act swiftly to find a solution to this damaging dispute.
“Consumers and businesses across the UK rely on rail freight to deliver their daily needs, whether retail products to shops, building materials to construction sites, fuel to power stations or moving domestic waste for processing.
“Our members have been working hard with Network Rail for several weeks to develop contingency arrangements. However, even with these plans in place, it will be impossible to run all freight services and there could still be significant disruption.”
