Industrial relations have played a significant role in shaping the modern railway,  influencing both its structure and operation. This history of railway strikes is extensive, with key figures and events leaving a lasting impact on today’s railways.

From the outset, railways were privately owned and operated but relied on the labour of thousands of workers. While the owners held financial power, the workforce possessed strength in numbers. This dynamic created tensions that led to industrial relations - the negotiations, discussions and conflicts between employers and employees. Both sides formed organisations to represent their interests.

Below, we explore the history of industrial relations in the UK rail sector, from formation of the railway unions, to nationalisation, and the impact of strikes on its evolution.

Industrial relations in the 19th century

Early railway workers endured long hours, low wages and frequent workplace injuries. The industry operated under strict, military-style discipline, with employees referred to as ‘railway servants’, highlighting their subordinate status. These harsh conditions led to worker movements which advocated for better treatment.

The first railway unions

Railway workers began to form local societies based on job roles and regions, which eventually merged into larger unions. An economic crisis in the 1860s led  employers to cut wages and impose unpaid overtime. Groups of workers took strike action. However, without a national organisation, these actions largely failed.

In 1871, the ‘Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants’ (ASRS) was established as the first trade union for all railway workers.

Improving conditions

The hazardous nature of railway work resulted in hundreds of fatalities each year. The ASRS advocated for safety measures, organising exhibitions to demonstrate the new safety technology. However, railway companies resisted these reforms, lobbying against proposed safety laws, which Parliament repeatedly rejected.

In 1890, the ASRS formally presented demands to railway companies, including higher pay, a standardised working week, a maximum of 10 or eight-hour working days, and overtime pay. However, employers refused to engage with the union.

Railways in politics

Railway employers held significant political power, both locally and nationally.  Since only property-owning men could vote and hold office, railway company owners often served as Members of Parliament, ensuring that worker representation remained limited and oppressive conditions persisted.

Labour representation

As voting rights expanded, trade unions sought to direct political influence and advance employee rights.

Initially aligned with the Liberal Party, railway unions took a new approach in  1899, and advocated for working-class representation. In 1900, two Labour MPs were elected, including Richard Bell, the ASRS general secretary.

The 1901 Taff Vale Case, in which courts ordered the ASRS to compensate the railway company for strike-related losses. Many workers saw the Taff Vale case as an attack on their right to strike and joined the newly formed Labour Representation Committee. Parliament reversed the Taff Vale ruling and introduced the Workmen's Compensation Act.

Conciliation and union growth

Despite worker activism, the Railway Companies’ Association refused to recognise trade unions. In response, the 1907 Railway Conciliation Scheme was introduced, however, workers' grievances continued.

Unions unite

In 1911, rail workers staged a national strike for higher pay and a reduced working week from 60 to 54 hours. Demands were not met through the strike, however, it demonstrated union solidarity.

In 1913, three large unions merged to form the National Union of Railwaymen (NUR). These were the ASRS, the General Railway Workers’ Union, and the United Pointsmen’s and Signalmen’s Society. However, the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) and the Railway Clerks’ Association (later TSSA) remained separate.

World War I

During World War I, many railwaymen joined the military and women temporarily took over their jobs. After the war, returning rail workers faced wage cuts and job losses, which contradicted Prime Minister David Lloyd George's promise of a land fit for heroes.”

The railways had been under public control during the war, but change was coming. The unions wanted this to continue. Instead, the government grouped the hundred-plus railway firms into four big companies.

Public and private ownership

Labour’s victory in the 1945 general election, led to railway nationalisation in 1948, bringing the industry under government control.

Industrial relations in a declining industry

The railway sector struggled due to war damage, safety concerns and increasing competition from road transport. In the 1960s, the ‘Beeching Axe’ resulted in widespread station and line closures. Railway unions opposed these cuts but focused more on negotiating workers protection rather than preventing closures. 

By the 1970s, the railway workforce and the unions’ membership had declined. Low pay and poor working conditions were widespread.

Struggles for equality

Industrial relations also took on issues of inequality, challenging local ‘colour bars’ that restricted Black Workers. Women also broke barriers, with Karen Harrison, becoming British Rail’s first woman train driver and an active ASLEF member.

Privatisation

In 1993 the government began to privatise British Rail, with The Railways Act providing the necessary legal framework. The changes were implemented the following year, despite strong opposition from the unions, who were ultimately unable to prevent them.

Around the turn of the century, several multi-fatality accidents occurred, including at Ladbroke Grove, Hatfield and Potters Bar. Unions attributed these incidents to privatisation and raised their safety concerns.

Following the Labour party’s victory in 1997, the government introduced  a ‘Public-Private Partnership’ (PPP) for the London Underground. Despite resistance from unions, transport experts, and passenger groups, the plan moved forward. However, unions successfully secured key job protections for their members, and PPP collapsed within the decade.

Industrial relations today

In 2022, rail unions initiated a series of strikes over pay disputes, seeking wage increases in response to rising living costs. The conflict was eventually resolved after prolonged negotiations.

Disputes between railway employees and unions persist, often concerning pay, working conditions, safety, or disciplinary matters. Some are resolved in negotiations, while others often require government intervention or industrial action.