Transport round-up

Station protests over ticket prices

The RMT union is planning demonstrations at train stations in marginal Tory and Lib Dem seats in the Home Counties as well as at party conferences.

The union wants to highlight the hypocrisy of MPs trying to shield themselves from public anger over fare rises, while supporting the government on rail privatisation and the McNulty report.

Toll booth staff strike over shifts

Around 70 toll booth staff at both bridges over the river Severn are set to strike for 24 hours on Friday of this week, and to impose an overtime ban from Tuesday.

The Severn River Crossing company is obliged to keep the bridges open—so the strike may mean that tolls are suspended. The workers, who are members of the Unite union, are opposing changes to their shift patterns.

Set sail for ferries ballot in Scotland

RMT members who work on Ferries for Transport Scotland started a strike ballot last Wednesday. Five routes run by the Scottish Government are set to be privatised and operated by Caledonian MacBrayne Scottish Ferries.

The firm have refused to give assurances that workers’ pensions and union bargaining rights will be protected. The union is also meeting Scottish minister Keith Brown on 6 September. The ballot closes on 12 September.