The RMT has called a new series of 24-hour strikes on Merseyrail during nine Saturdays in November and December, after a series of workshops failed to yield agreement over future train staffing. The union’s general secretary Mick Cash told his members that the new action was intended to ’focus the minds of management and to guarantee a safe and secure railway’. Merseyrail responded: ‘We are extremely disappointed that the recent exploratory technical workshops between the RMT, ourselves and Merseytravel have resulted in the announcement of further strike action.’