Hundreds of railway workers to be balloted on strike action
Those working on ticket barriers with GWR are set to vote in the coming weeks
Last updated 12th Jun 2025
Hundreds of railway workers are to be balloted for strikes in a dispute over staffing and hours.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said more than 300 of its members working on ticket barriers at Great Western Railway (GWR) will vote in the coming weeks on whether to launch a campaign of industrial action.
The union said the company was planning to impose single staffing and extend working hours.
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: "Our members are being threatened with unsafe working conditions and told there is nothing they can do about it.
"RMT will not accept lone working on stations and gatelines, and we are prepared to take strike action to stop it."
'Minimum staffing levels would be agreed by local station teams'
A Great Western Railway spokesman said: "These proposals mean more colleagues at seven GWR stations on our network to offer help and support to customers.
"We've got no plans to extend the working hours for gateline colleagues and there is no suggestion of single staffing being imposed.
"We've been speaking to trades union colleagues about recruiting an additional 30 members of staff at seven locations on our network to help us provide more staff at gatelines for longer.
"Rather than being imposed, we've been clear that minimum staffing levels would be agreed by local station teams, based on risk assessments agreed with trades unions.
"We're keen to talk to colleagues and their trades union representatives to find a mutually beneficial solution here that doesn't involve colleagues losing money through unnecessary industrial action."