WORKERS at five railway operators are to strike in November in bitter disputes over the role of guards and driver-only operation of trains.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) on Southern, South Western Railway and Greater Anglia will strike for 48 hours from November 8, and for 24 hours on Merseyrail and Arriva Rail North on November 8.

The union said it had made "every single effort" to resolve the disputes, accusing the train operators of "suspending" normal industrial relations.

The union has been embroiled in a dispute with Southern for over 18 months, taking more than 30 days of strike action.

The dispute spread to Merseyrail, Arriva Rail North and Greater Anglia, which were all hit by walkouts earlier this month.

South Western Railway, which only recently took over the franchise from South West Trains, will be targeted for a strike for the first time after being accused by the union of refusing to give a "cast iron guarantee" that a second, safety-critical member of staff, will be retained on trains.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "Every single effort that RMT has made to reach negotiated settlements in these separate disputes with the different train operating companies over safe operation and safe staffing has been kicked back in our faces and we are left with no option but to confirm a further phase of industrial action in early November.

"It is frankly ludicrous that we have been able to negotiate long-term arrangements in Scotland and Wales that protect the guards and passenger safety but we are being denied the same opportunities with rail companies in England.

"This suspension of normal industrial relations by the employers has to end if we are to make progress towards a solution that guarantees safe rail travel for all.

"RMT is in no doubt that it is the dead hand of the minority Tory Government that is interfering in these disputes to block negotiated settlements.

"It is outrageous that Prime Minister Theresa May and Transport Secretary Chris Grayling are happy to stand aside and cheer on overseas rail companies that rip-off the British passenger to subsidise their domestic transport operations while throwing the guards off our trains.

"RMT is demanding today that the Government lift the central blockade on talks, allow us to negotiate freely with their contractors and give us the opportunity to pursue the objective of a guard guarantee that puts British passenger safety before the rank exploitation of our rail network by overseas operators who are laughing all the way to the bank."

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Richard Allan, deputy managing director of Arriva Rail North (Northern), said: "Northern is committed to delivering new trains, faster journeys and better stations for customers.

"We are prepared to guarantee jobs and pay for conductors for the next eight years if we can reach agreement on how our colleagues deliver better customer service using those fantastic new facilities.

"RMT is striking yet again at Northern and on several other train operators. We remain available for talks that are meaningful and clearly focused on how we deliver better customer service in the future."

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A South Western Railway spokesman said: "We are extremely disappointed that the RMT has announced dates for this unnecessary and disruptive strike rather than working with us to find a solution to their problem.

"No-one wants this, least of all our passengers and staff who will be the ones to suffer.

"We would like to assure our customers that should this strike go ahead, we have contingency plans in place and we will do everything we can to minimise disruption to their journeys.

"This action is both premature and unnecessary.

"We have not yet made a decision on how best to operate our new fleet of trains, trains that are not due to be in service for two years, and the way forward is to discuss how we operate them for the benefit of our passengers with our employees, and the union.

"RMT bosses aren't acting in the best interests of its members on the ground in SWR, who have said that our recent discussions have been open and productive.

"We urge the union to get back around the table to further discuss the issue so we can all agree on a way forward."

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Richard Dean, train service delivery director at Greater Anglia said: "We are obviously disappointed with the announcement.

"We're keen to avert industrial action and resolve the issues with further talks with the RMT.

"In the event of industrial action going ahead we'd like to reassure customers that we have contingency plans in place and intend to run a full service.

"We value our conductors highly and we have guaranteed their jobs until the end of the franchise in October 2025.

"In fact, we will be recruiting additional conductors, as we are replacing all of our trains with brand new trains from 2019, which will enable us to run more services."

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The November 8 strikes coincide with a ballot result by the drivers' union Aslef over a proposed deal to end its dispute with Southern.

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A spokesman for Govia Thameslink Railway, parent company of Southern, said: "We are very disappointed by this unnecessary RMT strike action and the union's continued refusal to engage with us in modernising the railway.

"We expect to run a normal service on most of our routes during the RMT strike days.

"Modernisation is urgently required to make lasting improvements and increase capacity on this, the busiest part of the UK railway, where passenger numbers have doubled in 12 years.

"As well as better infrastructure and new trains, we have updated working practices to make the most of new technology and improve services for passengers.

"The RMT needs to play its part if passengers are to benefit from service improvements."

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Andy Heath, Merseyrail's deputy managing director, said: "Just a few weeks after the last round of industrial action, the RMT has announced it will strike again, targeting commuters and leisure travellers alike.

"We will do all we can to provide as comprehensive a service as possible, with timetable details published over the next few days.

"The union claims to be open to talks, but failed to respond to our most recent offer of a meeting."

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Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail companies and Network Rail, said: "Britain's rail companies are working together to keep the nation moving and support the economy while RMT strikes seek to disrupt a vital public service that millions of people rely on every day."

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