Britons’ holiday plans face chaos after train drivers announced a fresh overtime ban today, threatening disruption to services at the height of the summer break.
Members of Aslef at 15 train operating companies will refuse to work overtime from Monday, July 31 until Saturday, August 5 in the long-running dispute over pay.
The announcement comes after Aslef launched a week-long overtime ban from today until Friday which the union warned will ‘seriously’ affect services. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will also strike on July 20, 22 and 29.
There is also expected to be severe disruption on the London Underground between July 23 and 29 due to action by both Aslef and the RMT.
Aslef claimed today that train companies do not employ enough drivers, which is why they are dependent on rest day working, which the union said was voluntary.
Among the services affected by the upcoming action by Aslef will be those on Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, Cross Country, East Midlands Railway, Gatwick Express, Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, Great Northern and Island Line.
Barriers closing off part of London Waterloo railway station during a previous strike on June 2
Also expected to hit will be LNER, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Southern, South Western Railway, Thameslink, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains.
The action will be the fourth week-long ban on overtime since May by Aslef, which claims to have the membership of 96 per cent of the train drivers in England, Scotland, and Wales.
Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, said today: ‘We don’t want to take this action.
‘We don’t want people to be inconvenienced, but the blame lies with the train companies, and the Government which stands behind them, which refuse to sit down and talk to us, and have not made a fair and sensible pay offer to train drivers who have not had one for four years – since 2019 – while prices have soared in that time by more than 12 per cent.
‘The proposal they made on April 26 of 4 per cent with a further rise dependent, in a naked land grab, on drivers giving up terms and conditions for which we have fought, and negotiated, for years was not designed to be accepted.
‘We have not heard a word from the employers since then – not a meeting, not a phone call, not a text message, nor an email – for the last 12 weeks, and we haven’t sat down with the Government since January 6.
‘That shows how little the companies and the Government care about passengers and staff. They appear content to let this drift on and on.
‘In contrast, we want a fair resolution. That’s why we are taking this action, to try to bring things to a head.
‘Then I can concentrate on my day job working with others in the industry to rebuild Britain’s railways for passengers, for business, and for this country.’
Aslef’s withdrawal of non-contractual overtime will start at 0.01am on July 31 and end at 11.59pm on August 5.
It follows two other week-long bans on working overtime – from May 15 to 20, and July 3 to 8 – in addition to this week’s action.
Aslef – which stands for the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen – has also called 11 one-day strikes during the dispute.
Five of these took place last year on July 30, August 13, October 1, October 5 and November 26.
Empty platforms at London Paddington train station on June 2 during last month’s RMT strike
The other six were this year on January 5, February 1, February 3, May 12, May 31 and June 3.
Separately, members of the RMT will strike on July 20, 22 and 29.
RMT members including station staff, train managers and catering staff will be involved in that action.
A Rail Delivery Group spokesman said: ‘The upcoming rail strikes called by the RMT union and the overtime ban by Aslef will undoubtedly cause some disruption, affecting not only the daily commute of our passengers but also disrupting the plans of families during the summer holidays.
‘This will lead to disappointment, frustration, and financial strain for tens of thousands of people. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and understand the impact on individuals and businesses.’
Passengers have been advised to check their travel arrangements in advance over the coming weeks because the level of service will vary across the country.
The RDG also confirmed passengers with Advance tickets can be ‘refunded fee-free if the train that the ticket is booked for is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled’.
Yesterday, RMT chief Mick Lynch said he had not met a Government minister since January despite strike action continuing.
Amid talks between ministers and other unions, Mr Lynch told Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: ‘No contact. They seem to pick out the RMT as a special category where they can’t negotiate on a reasonable basis.
Aslef’s general secretary Mick Whelan (centre, with members on a picket line outside Newcastle station on May 31) said the ‘blame lies with the train companies’
‘We’re available to talk to them, but I don’t think I’ve met a Government minister since January, and even the employers now have stopped negotiating.
‘So I don’t know whether they’re waiting for all this other stuff to be cleared out the way. We don’t know if there’s going to be settlements yet – they’re out for referendum and consultation with their members, we’ll see.
‘They’ve certainly offered the others more than we’ve been offered. There’s no strings attached to those deals; we’ve got to accept a whole host of change and dilution to those terms and conditions, and job losses.’
Mr Lynch said strikes will continue until an agreement is reached.
Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: ‘I think the Government’s got to recognise – I think it has recognised – its early approach was completely wrong.
‘And actually the lack of respect they’ve shown for a lot of the public sector, I think, has been one of the aggravating factors in the industrial action we’ve seen.’
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: ‘This Government has played its part by facilitating fair and reasonable pay offers that would see generous increases for rail workers.
‘Union leaders should stop blocking their members from having a vote on these offers and give them the chance to help resolve this dispute.’
