Rail Delivery Group has released a response following ASLEF's call for more strikes to take place during the run-up to Christmas.
A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said:
“This wholly unnecessary strike action called by the ASLEF leadership will sadly disrupt customers and businesses ahead of the vital festive period, while further damaging the railway at a time when it is losing £3000 a day post-Covid.”
“The fair and affordable offer made by industry, which would take average driver base salaries for a 4-day week from £60,000 to nearly £65,000, remains on the table. We urge the ASLEF leadership to put it to its members, give Christmas back to our passengers, and end this damaging industrial dispute.”
ASLEF's programme of walkouts will impact differing rail operators each day between the 2nd and 8th of December, alongside an overtime ban from the 1st to the 9th of December.
During the period of strike action, rail operators are expected to see services cancelled on the following dates:
Saturday the 2nd of December:
Sunday the 3rd of December:
- Avanti West Coast
- Chiltern
- Great Northern
- Thameslink
- West Midlands Trains
Tuesday the 5th of December:
Wednesday the 6th of December:
- Southeastern
- Southern
- Gatwick Express
- South Western Railway (main line and depot)
- Island Line
Thursday the 7th of December:
Friday the 8th of December:
- Northern
- TransPennine Express
Prior to Christmas, the Government is set to introduce minimum strike levels during service, which will mean that rail operators will be required to run at 40% of their usual timetable whilst strike action is taking place. The minimum strike levels will see ‘issue to work' notices given to unions specifying which staff will be required for work.
The only winners out of all the previous rail strikes are Flixbus, Megabus and National Express coach operators.
Passengers will switch to road, be it car, bus or coach, and once lost they will be hard to get back.
Shades of the 1970s and 80s.
Whatever the disagreement is between the union and … (exactly who I am not sure), I as a rail user can not do anything about it, but I am the one who is suffering inconvenience and having my life disrupted. The union should stop bullying thier customer in this way.
You start by saying you don’t know what the disagreement is, but end by accusing the union of bullying. It’s an industrial dispute involving TWO sides.
When it is official union strike action the public should be able to claim loss of earnings from the union.
Why the union, when two sides are in dispute?