Music fans headed to this year’s Glastonbury Festival may have to reconsider their travel plans as national rail strikes were confirmed for three days in late June.
The RMT union announced that “over 50,000 railway workers will walkout as part of 3 days of national strike action later this month, in the biggest dispute on the network since 1989”.
The nationwide strikes are due to take place on June 21, 23 and 25, which means that those travelling to Worthy Farm for the festival from June 22-26 may face disruption.
Other events affected the same week include the British athletics championships in Manchester, and Elton John and The Rolling Stones‘ BST Hyde Park concerts.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Railway workers have been treated appallingly and despite our best efforts in negotiations, the rail industry with the support of the government has failed to take their concerns seriously.
“We have a cost-of-living crisis, and it is unacceptable for railway workers to either lose their jobs or face another year of a pay freeze when inflation is at 11.1% and rising. Our union will now embark on a sustained campaign of industrial action which will shut down the railway system.”
He continued: “Rail companies are making at least £500m a year in profits, whilst fat cat rail bosses have been paid millions during the Covid-19 pandemic. This unfairness is fuelling our members anger and their determination to win a fair settlement.”
Rail union RMT launch 3 days of national strike action across the railway network:
Over 50,000 railway workers will walkout as part of 3 days of national strike action later this month, in the biggest dispute on the network since 1989. https://t.co/CEaTfIQaOa pic.twitter.com/rhl0gLtCNw— RMT (@RMTunion) June 7, 2022
Andrew Haines, Network Rail’s chief executive, added: “There are two weeks until the first strike is planned. We will use this time to keep talking to our unions and, through compromise and common sense on both sides, we hope to find a solution and avoid the damage that strike action would cause all involved.”
Glastonbury returns this month following a two-year COVID-enforced hiatus, with Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar set to top the bill over the weekend.
Last week, the BBC announced that it will broadcast sets live from Glastonbury Festival‘s Pyramid Stage in Ultra High Definition (UHD) for the first time.
Audiences will be able to watch headline sets aired live on BBC One/Two as well as BBC iPlayer and online from Friday, June 24 to Sunday, June 26.
Elsewhere, the full line-up and stage times for the 2022 festival were recently revealed.