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7 months ago
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Rail unions have targeted the May Bank Holiday as they announced a series of fresh strikes from in their long-running pay dispute in a move that will bring more misery for passengers.
Drivers will walk out in a series of daily strikes and observe a six-day overtime ban, Aslef confirmed.
The union is calling for a pay rise for its members, saying that train drivers have not had a salary increase since the expiration of their last wages deal in 2019.
It is the latest in a long-running pay dispute between unions, train operators and government, with Aslef first balloting its members on strike action almost two years ago.
The union said that after its members voted overwhelmingly in February to continue taking industrial action, it asked the train operating companies to hold talks, which they refused.
The strike action will cause havoc for any families embarking on a bank holiday getaway, and the overtime ban will affect major events including a Premier League tie between Manchester United and Crystal Palace on May 6.
Train drivers represented by Aslef have announced a fresh wave of strikes will take place in May in a long-running pay dispute
General Secretary of the ASLEF union Mick Whelan made the announcement on Monday in a fresh blow to passengers
Aslef's General Secretary Mick Whelan said: 'It is now a year since we sat in a room with the train companies – and a year since we rejected the risible offer they made and which they admitted, privately, was designed to be rejected.
'We first balloted for industrial action in June 2022, after three years without a pay rise. It took eight one-day strikes to persuade the train operating companies to come to the table and talk.
'Our negotiating team met the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on eight occasions - the last being on Wednesday April 26 last year.
'That was followed by the Tocs' 'land grab' for all our terms & conditions on Thursday April 27 - which was immediately rejected.
'Since then train drivers have voted, again and again, to take action to get a pay rise.
'That's why Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, is being disingenuous when he says that offer should have been put to members. Drivers would not vote to strike if they thought an offer was acceptable.'
Mr Whelan added: 'Train drivers at these train operating companies have not had an increase in salary for five years. That is completely wrong.
'The employers – and the government – think we are going to give up and run away. They're wrong. In the words of Tom Petty, we won't back down…'
Mr Whelan said that a previous offer of a four percent pay increase followed by a second four percent increase is 'dead in the water'.
Previous strike action by Aslef has resulted in even the UK's largest stations being all but completely closed (Pictured: Waterloo Station, April 8)
Members of Aslef recently held a rolling programme of one-day walkouts between April 5 and 8, coupled with a six-day ban on overtime
In total, the union has conducted 14 national one-day strikes, beginning on July 30, 2022.
It has already held 'rolling' strike programmes in February and April this year.
The latest action will see drivers at c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line and depot drivers, and SWR Island Line walkout on Tuesday 7 May.
On May 8, staff at Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway; and West Midlands Trains will strike.
And on May 9, LNER, Northern Trains, and TransPennine Trains will be affected.
An overtime ban will be in place for six days from May 6.
This is a breaking news story and is being updated.
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