A new 48-hour strike by rail workers began on Friday, with negations between unions and rail operators still failing to find solutions to a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) said on Friday that no new proposals were on the table, having outlined on Thursday that strikes would continue ahead of further talks agreed with National Rail and the Rail Delivery Group.
“These meetings will be arranged, but in the meantime all industrial action remains in place,” said RMT general secretary Mick Lynch on Thursday.
On Friday he said there had been “an exchange” between the union, the rail operators and rail minister Huw Merriman, but as yet there were “no actual negotiations; there are some soundings-out of what might be developed”.
“There are no new proposals on the table as we speak,” he told Sky News on Friday.
The retail and hospitality industries were among those raising concern over how the strikes will affect businesses in the run up to Christmas, with the December walkouts set to cost the hospitality sector £1.5bn, according to broker Liberum.
AJ Bell analyst Danni Hewson added: “The hospitality sector is anticipating that rail strikes will take as big a chunk out of their festive take as the Omicron covid variant did last year.”
On Thursday, members of the smaller Transport Salaried Staff Association accepted a 9% pay rise offer from National Rail, meaning track workers and maintenance staff will no longer strike.
As RMT members continue to seek an improved pay offer, with strikes are set to take place between Saturday 24 and Tuesday 27 December.