Avanti train strikes in January cancelled to allow talks

The planned Avanti West Coast train service strikes for January have been suspended. The cancelled strike dates were Sunday, January 19th, and Sunday, January 26th, to allow for further negotiations following recent engagement between Avanti and the RMT union.

Despite the January strike suspension, Avanti West Coast train manager RMT members still plan to strike every Sunday between February 2nd and May 25th unless an agreement is reached. This series of strikes highlights the continued disagreement between labor and management in resolving their dispute.

An RMT spokesperson stated, "This suspension reflects our good faith and commitment to resolving this rest day working dispute." He also added, "We are responding to Avanti's offer and hope to make meaningful progress in these talks towards a negotiated settlement."

RMT members had initially planned to strike before Christmas 2024, but these plans were called off at the last minute. Before Christmas, the union stated that a revised proposal offered to them was rejected by 83% of the 400 members involved in the dispute, leading to the announcement of the new strike dates. RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch previously claimed in a BBC interview that the train company chose to pay its own managers "excessive rates" for working rest days while union members were paid less.

Avanti had previously expressed "disappointment" at the strikes and advised customers to "travel around strike dates or claim a full refund." The company also warned that reduced services on strike days could lead to crowded trains. This series of events underscores the long-standing conflict between labor and management in the rail industry over pay and working conditions.