Workers on Virgin Trains East Coast are to stage three 24-hour strikes this month, including one on Bank Holiday Monday, the RMT union has said.

Members will walk out from 03:00 on 19, 26 and 29 August and ban overtime for 48 hours from August 27, in a row over job cuts, work conditions and safety.

The union said the dispute involved around 1,800 of its members.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said it would not tolerate a "cavalier attitude to safety".

Extract from City AM

Virgin Trains has promised to run a "normal timetable" during two 24-hour strikes which were confirmed by the RMT union today.

In a statement today, RMT said the two 24-hour strikes on Virgin East Coast, which were announced on Tuesday, will take place on Friday 19 August and Friday 26 August (aka the day before bank holiday).

But Virgin said it had made contingency plans which meant it can run a normal service.

“We have worked hard to ensure there are comprehensive contingency plans in place and I want to reassure our customers that our timetable will be unaffected during these walk-outs, as well as during any subsequent strikes by the RMT," said managing director David Horne.

Earlier today the RMT union said: "The ongoing dispute came to a head as the company chose to ignore the agreed negotiating machinery and subjected staff to a barrage of direct propaganda justifying their attempts to bulldoze through a package of cash-led measure that would decimate jobs, working conditions and threaten the safety regime that currently ensures a guard on every train.

"Nearly 200 jobs across the franchise are threatened by the cuts."

But Virgin insisted changes it is making will mean "no compulsory redundancies"

Note that following assurances  from Hitachi to RMT

Hitachi has confirmed in writing that it fully expects RMT members will transfer under TUPE regulations in August 2018. Therefore depot maintenance members are not included in the forthcoming industrial action as their issue is largely resolved. RMT will of course remain vigilant on the issue and any further matters in relation to the transfer or your future employment with Hitachi.