Full Breakdown
West Midlands Rail Strike Over Rest Day Pay Parity Set for May 22-23
5/21/2026, 4:16:11 AM
Strike Overview and Service Impact
On 22 and 23 May 2024, the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) will strike across the West Midlands Trains (WMT) network, affecting West Midlands Railway (WMR) and London Northwestern Railway (LNR). Roster clerks begin a 24-hour walkout at 00:01 21 May, followed by duty train-crew managers and control staff from noon 22 May to midday 23 May. West Midlands Railway has announced a “very limited service”: only three routes will run, including hourly Birmingham-Liverpool and Birmingham-Northampton-Milton Keynes-London Euston services; no trains after 19:00 BST on Friday and a delayed start at 07:00 BST on Saturday. Passengers are advised to travel only if necessary and to expect cancellations and reduced carriages.
Background: Rest Day Pay Dispute and Public Ownership
The industrial action targets the union’s demand for parity on rest-day working payments with other rail unions, a request the union describes as modest. Negotiations involving the arbitration service ACAS produced no agreement. West Midlands Trains, transferred to public ownership in February 2024, has not offered the requested parity.
Official Statements & Responses
West Midlands Railway managing director Ian McConnell urged continued talks, expressed regret for the inconvenience, and advised customers to limit travel. TSSA General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust reiterated that the company’s refusal to grant parity is “intolerable” and stressed that strike action remains a last resort. ACAS confirmed that discussions failed to achieve a breakthrough.
Criticism & Opposition
The union criticises West Midlands Trains for “simply refusing to give our members parity with those in other unions,” labeling the stance unacceptable given the modest demands. No counter-argument from the company appears in the sources.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact number of routes operating under the limited timetable: one report cites three active routes, while another mentions specific hourly services on two corridors.
Verbatim Quotes
- “ TSSA General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: "As things stand these strikes will go ahead as planned because the company is simply refusing to give our members parity with those in other unions.” — Maryam Eslamdoust, TSSA General Secretary
- “That is an intolerable situation, especially given the fact these are modest demands.” — Maryam Eslamdoust, TSSA General Secretary
- “We encourage TSSA to continue talks with us to reach a resolution to this dispute.” — Ian McConnell, Managing Director, West Midlands Railway
- “? It told passengers: "We advise you to only travel if necessary as trains will only run on a small number of routes.” — West Midlands Railway
What’s Next
The strike proceeds on 22-23 May unless a new agreement is reached. TSSA remains open to further discussions, while West Midlands Railway pledges to minimise disruption.
