Train drivers’ union ASLEF has announced more strike dates for the coming weeks, after what it called “a ‘risible’ pay offer from the 16 train companies with whom we are in dispute”.
Members are set to walk out on walk out on Friday May 12, Wednesday May 31 and Saturday June 3 – the last date coinciding with the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United.
The new strike dates represent the latest round of industrial action in a year-long dispute over pay and conditions.
The 16 train operating companies (TOCs) which will be affected by the walk out are:
- Avanti West Coast
- Chiltern Railways
- CrossCountry
- East Midlands Railway
- Great Western Railway
- Greater Anglia
- GTR Great Northern Thameslink
- London North Eastern Railway
- Northern Trains
- Southeastern
- Southern
- Gatwick Express
- South Western Railway depot drivers
- SWR Island Line
- TransPennine Express
- West Midlands Trains
In addition the RMT union has announced that its members will strike on May 13 across 14 TOCs, after rejecting the latest offer from the Rail Delivery Group.
Note that open access rail firms including Hull Trains and Lumo are not taking part in the strike action detailed above.
Commenting on the news Mick Whelan, ASLEF’s general secretary, said:
“Our executive committee met this morning [Thursday] and rejected a risible proposal we received from the RDG (The Rail Delivery Group), a pressure group which represents some of the train companies, and lobbies on their behalf, late on Wednesday afternoon.
“The proposal – of just 4 per cent – was clearly not designed to be accepted as inflation is still running north of 10 per cent and our members at these companies have not had an increase for four years.
“The RDG, in turn, rejected our proposals to modernise Britain’s railways and help them run more efficiently, for passengers and for businesses, in the 21st century.
“Consequently, we have today announced three more days of strike action – on Friday 12 May, Wednesday 31 May, and Saturday 3 June – at the companies with which we are in dispute, and which are letting down passengers, and taxpayers, so badly.
“We are also withdrawing non-contractual overtime from Monday 15 to Saturday 20 May inclusive, as well as on Saturday 13 May and Thursday 1 June.
“We do not want to go on strike – we do not want to inconvenience passengers, we have families and friends who use the railway, too, and we believe in investing in rail for the future of this country – but the blame for this action lies, fairly and squarely, at the feet of the employers who have forced our hand over this by their intransigence.
“It is now up to them to come up with a more sensible, and realistic, offer and we ask the government not to hinder this process.”
