13 September: news in brief

RMT announces industrial action on Underground and CrossCountry

THE RMT has said limited industrial action will begin on the District Line of London Underground later this month. The action has been called in protest at what the RMT said are ’growing levels of violence and anti-social behaviour at work’. From 27 September, staff will be limiting their activities when working alone. In particular, when on the track they will work only within a place of safety and will not attend incidents on board trains single-handed. In an unrelated dispute, RMT members will be staging a ban on rest day working and non-contractual overtime on CrossCountry between 27 September and 1 October, and again between 18 and 22 October. The RMT said there had been no progress in negotiations over collective bargaining.

Leaders call for HS2 and NPR ‘all the way, in full’

MAYORS and council leaders in the north of England are calling on the government to complete HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail ‘all the way, in full’. They are meeting today for the Convention of the North, where they will urge the Prime Minister to give support to their ambitions. A review of HS2 is now under way, which began shortly after Boris Johnson was elected Conservative leader. Speaking at Sheffield station this morning, Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis said: ‘To “Connect Britain” a step-change in our transport provision is needed to unlock productivity, help people achieve their potential and power up the north. This applies to journeys both long and short – between cities and towns and across our rural areas.’

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