Aslef announces strike action from May 7 to 9, following years of unresolved pay issues for train drivers.
Train drivers at 16 rail companies are set to walk out on strike between May 7 and May 9 in an ongoing pay dispute, Aslef has confirmed. The disruption is expected to cause significant inconvenience for commuters, especially with the strikes scheduled just after the early May Bank Holiday on May 6.
The action includes a series of one-day strikes, in addition to a six-day overtime ban from May 6 to May 11, affecting multiple services. Aslef, the union representing the drivers, said the strike was a response to the lack of a pay increase for train drivers since their last pay deal expired in 2019. Despite rising living costs over the past five years, no substantial salary increase has been offered, prompting the ongoing dispute.
On May 7, members will strike at rail companies including c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern, and Gatwick Express, alongside South Western Railway's mainline and depot drivers, as well as drivers on the SWR Island Line.
On May 8, strike action will expand to Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, and West Midlands Trains. The final day of the strikes, May 9, will see drivers at LNER, Northern Trains, and TransPennine Express join the picket lines.
The union’s members voted overwhelmingly to continue industrial action in February, prompting Aslef to call for further negotiations with the train operating companies. Mick Whelan, Aslef's general secretary, expressed frustration with the lack of progress, stating that the most recent offer from train companies had been "designed to be rejected" and did not meet the needs of train drivers.
"We have been fighting for fair pay for over a year now," Whelan said. "Train drivers would not continue to strike if we thought any offer was acceptable."
The dispute stems from an offer made over a year ago, which proposed a four per cent pay rise followed by a second four per cent increase. According to Whelan, this proposal is no longer viable.
The Department for Transport has accused Aslef of refusing to put a "fair and reasonable" pay offer to its members, despite the government facilitating the deal. A spokesperson for the department pointed out that the latest offer would raise train drivers' salaries to an average of £65,000, nearly double the UK’s average salary. They also urged Aslef to follow the example of other rail unions and present the offer to their members, criticising the union's stance for causing continued disruption for passengers.
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The first day’s journey was through the pink fields