an overtime ban at 14 train companies from sunday is expected to cause cancellations on some routes. a strike at network rail will see services finish even earlier than usual on christmas eve and resume late on the 27th of december. then injanuary, yet more national walk outs are planned. yesterday, some 2,500 workers at another rail union. the tssa did accept a pay offer from network rail. but for the moment, the rmt is holding firm. we ve got concerns that the safety regime is being diluted, that our members work life balance, their conditions of employment are being adversely affected, so they can have change and we accept that they want change and maybe there s a need for it, but it needs to be done on a negotiated, agreed basis rather than imposition, which is where we are at the moment. last night rmt leaders met with the rail minister, huw merriman and industry representatives and it now appears further negotiations are likely.
rmt a deal, a 5% pay rise this year and 4% for next year, but that has been rejected by the rmt. however, that has been accepted by small trade unions, the tssa and the unite union. at the moment, last night, there were talks between the rmt and there were talks between the rmt and the rail companies and the negotiations are still ongoing. as it stands, there still will be rail strikes on christmas eve, going into the 27th of december, right over the christmas period and into the new year. that is going to affect a lot of people, notjust travellers, but retailers as well, who depend on people travelling to different cities, spending money and, as we saw, earlier, that retail sales are down for the last month, not a very good picture here on the railways. rishi sunak has suggested that the government won t budge on its view that nurses should be paid what the independent
there are about 20,000 rmt workers under the umbrella of those 14 train companies. network rail had put to rmt a deal, a 5% pay rise for this year and 4% next year, but that has been rejected by the rmt. however, that has been accepted by its smaller train unions, the tssa and the unite union. at the moment, last night, there were talks between the rmt and the rail companies and the negotiations are still ongoing. as it stands, there still will be rail strikes on christmas eve, going into the 27th of december, right over the christmas period and into the new year. that is going to affect a lot of people, notjust travellers, but retailers as well, who depend on people travelling to different cities, spending money and, as we saw earlier, that retail sales are down for the last month, so not a
engine ignition, and lift off. a nasa satellite designed to study the earth s water for the first time ever is successfully launced into space. rail workers from the rmt union have begun their latest 48 hour strike with services hit in england, scotland and wales, and only one in five trains expected to run today and tomorrow. there s more industrial action planned over the christmas holiday period, between the 24th and 27th december, and then again in early january. theo leggett reports. another day of quiet stations, empty platforms and crowded picket lines, as the latest 48 hour rail strike gets under way. some areas have no trains at all.
of industrial action in different sectors across the country. nurses in england, wales and northern ireland go on strike again next week, on the 20th. among the others on strike are postal workers, who took action today, with another two strike days planned for the 23rd and 24th december. industrial action by rail workers continues tomorrow into the weekend, with more days scheduled for christmas eve to the 27th december and also in early january. our special correspondent ed thomas has been speaking to three people who work in different parts of the economy who ve taken the decision to go on strike. what we want? fair pay! when do we want it? now! these are the lives behind the picket lines. it s time that nurses say that enough is enough. it s not getting any better. it s only getting worse. like danielle, a nurse in liverpool. there are people in the nursing profession that cannot stay in nursing because they re not getting the pay they need