ASLEF announces new round of strike action for train drivers

ASLEF members will take strike action this January and February in a dispute over pay.

Strikes will take place between the 30th January and the 5th February, and will see members walk out at Southeastern, Great Northern, Southern, Gatwick Express, Thameslink, Island Line and South Western Railway on Tuesday 30th January.

Then, on the 31st January, Northern and TransPennine Express staff will take strike action, followed by Greater Anglia, c2c and London North Eastern Railway on the 2nd February.

West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast and East Midlands Railway will strike on the 3rd February, before Great Western Railway, CrossCountry and Chiltern Railways walk out on the 5th February.

Drivers will also refuse to work any overtime between the 29th January and 6th February.

ASLEF's general secretary Mick Whelan said: “We have given the government every opportunity to come to the table but it has now been a year since we had any contact from the Department for Transport. It's clear they do not want to resolve this dispute.

“Many of our members have now not had a single penny increase to their pay in half a decade, during which inflation soared and with it the cost of living. Train drivers didn't even ask for an increase during the Covid-19 pandemic when they worked throughout as keyworkers, risking their lives to allow NHS and other workers to travel.

“The government has now tried their old trick of changing the rules when they can't win and brought in Minimum Service Levels legislation. But this new law, as we told officials during the consultation period, won't ease industrial strife. It will likely just make it worse. 

“There's no excuse. The government and train operating companies must come to the table with a realistic offer so we can end this dispute and work together to ensure the future of our railways.”

A spokesperson for Rail Delivery Group said: “Nobody wins when strikes impact lives and livelihoods, and they're particularly difficult to justify at a time when taxpayers are continuing to contribute an extra £54m a week to keep services running post covid.

“Despite the railway's huge financial challenge, drivers have been made an offer which would take base salaries to nearly £65,000 for a four day week without overtime – that is well above the national average and significantly more than many of our passengers that have no option to work from home are paid. Instead of staging more damaging industrial action, we call on the ASLEF leadership to work with us to resolve this dispute and deliver a fair deal which both rewards our people, and makes the changes needed to make services more reliable.”