Train drivers announce strike day on July 30

ASLEF says train companies failed to make a pay offer to keep pace with the increase in the cost of living.

ASLEF members at eight companies – Arriva Rail London; Chiltern Railways; Greater Anglia; Great Western; Hull Trains; LNER; Southeastern; and West Midlands Trains – will strike on Saturday July 30.

And a ballot at Transport for Wales closes on Thursday, August 25, along with ones at Northern Trains and TransPennine Express. Ballots at Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry will close on Wednesday July 27.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of the union, said: ‘We don’t want to go on strike – strikes are the result of a failure of negotiation – and this union, since I was elected general secretary in 2011, has only ever been on strike, until this year, for a handful of days.

"We don’t want to inconvenience passengers – not least because our friends and families use public transport, too, and we believe in building trust in the railways in Britain – and we don’t want to lose money by going on strike.

"But we’ve been forced into this position by the train companies, driven by the Tory government. The drivers at the companies where we are striking have had a real terms pay cut over the last three years – since April 2019.

"And these companies are offering us nothing, saying their hands have been tied by the government. That means, in real terms, with inflation running ahead at 9 per cent, 10 per cent and even 11 per cent this year, according to which index you use, that they are being told to take a real terms pay cut. And that is not acceptable.

"Strike action is, now, the only option available but we are always open to talks if the train companies, or the government, want to talk to us and make a fair and sensible offer.’

He added: "It’s not unreasonable to ask your employer to make sure you’re not worse off for a third successive year. Especially as the train companies are doing very nicely, thank you, out of Britain’s railways with handsome profits, dividends for shareholders, and big salaries for managers.’

The union says it has reached pay deals with DB Cargo; Direct Rail Services; Eurostar; Freightliner Heavy Haul; Freightliner Intermodal; GB Railfreight; Merseyrail; MTR Elizabeth line; PRE Metro Operations; and ScotRail.

They also have multi-year deals already in place with other companies.

Drivers on Greater Anglia will also strike on Saturday 23 July; and drivers on Hull Trains will also strike on Saturday 16 and Saturday 23 July.

Jonny Wiseman, West Midlands Trains customer experience director, said: “It’s incredibly disappointing that the unions have chosen to take this course of damaging industrial action and disrupt journeys for our regular customers, as well as many thousands of visitors coming to the West Midlands for the Commonwealth Games.

“If this action does go ahead we expect significant disruption to rail services, with customers advised to make alternative travel arrangements. We are working closely with Transport for the West Midlands on contingency arrangements to do what we can to keep our customers moving.”