{"id":455439,"date":"2026-06-16T22:19:05","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T12:19:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=71781"},"modified":"2026-06-16T22:19:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T12:19:05","slug":"uk-trade-union-rmt-calls-for-strike-at-heavy-haul-rail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=455439","title":{"rendered":"UK trade union RMT calls for strike at Heavy Haul Rail"},"content":{"rendered":"

The trade union RMT has today called on its members to take strike action at one of the newest freight operators in the UK. Members at Heavy Haul Rail (HHR) have been called to take 48-hour strike action on 25 June. The union says it has unresolved concerns over job security.<\/strong>
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RMT says the company refused to rule out compulsory redundancies as part of a major restructuring programme. \u201cDespite ongoing discussions and some mitigation measures being secured through negotiations, the employer continues to refuse to provide assurances that jobs will be protected,\u201d said the RMT in a statement this morning.<\/p>\n

Areas of disagreement<\/h2>\n

Responding to RailFreight.com, Heavy Haul Rail<\/a> said the union has been in talks with\u00a0the freight operator. \u201cWe can confirm the RMT has notified us that members in some central functions, including Train Control and Planning, have voted in favour of potential industrial action,\u201d said a HHR spokesperson. \u201cWhile we respect the result, we are disappointed, as we believed good progress was being made in discussions to mitigate compulsory redundancies.\u201d<\/p>\n

The dispute, according to union sources, centres on proposals affecting Control, Rosters, TOPS (Total Operations Processing System), Train Planning, Administration and Management grades. RMT say the company is seeking to restructure operations, merge roles, revise job descriptions, and relocate some roles – it says \u201crelocation will be around 200 miles away (320 kilometres) for no operational or cost benefit\u201d. This presumably means from existing bases or sign-on points for operational staff.<\/p>\n

\"Heavy
Heavy Haul Rail has assumed the bulk cargo loads of Freightliner, such as this fertiliser train near Boulby in North Yorkshire. Image: \u00a9 Heavy Haul Rail<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Still time to resolve<\/h2>\n

Since the divergence from intermodal operations, Heavy Haul Rail has supported infrastructure projects<\/a> as well as Network Rail renewal and maintenance work. However, RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey claims that the company is not prepared to move on the issue of job security. “Despite extensive negotiations, Heavy Haul Rail is still refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies,\u201d he said. “Our members cannot be expected to accept sweeping changes to their jobs, additional responsibilities and increased flexibility requirements while the threat of losing their livelihoods continues to hang over them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The union feels there is still time to resolve the dispute if HHR can provide firm guarantees on compulsory redundancies and engage with the union’s concerns. Heavy Haul Rail says it is still open to talks. \u201cOur focus remains on constructive dialogue with the RMT to resolve this through the ongoing consultation process,\u201d said a statement from Heavy Haul Rail. \u201cWe have contingency plans in place, and our priority is to minimise disruption while continuing to deliver a safe and reliable service for our customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heavy Haul Rail<\/h2>\n

Heavy Haul Rail was formed after the acquisition of the intermodal side of the Freightliner<\/a> business by the French shipping and logistics group CMA CGM. HHR is a rebranding of Freightliner’s bulk cargo operation, formerly known as Freightliner Heavy Haul. It remains owned by infrastructure investors Brookfield Infrastructure Partners and GIC. The Birmingham registered company operates throughout Great Britain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The trade union RMT has today called on its members to take strike action at one of the newest freight operators in the UK. Members\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[72,1100,1931,19296,471,47,2842,85],"tags":[12634],"class_list":["post-455439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business","category-cma-cgm","category-freightliner","category-heavy-haul-rail","category-news","category-rail-news","category-rmt","category-uk","tag-railfreight"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t