Train drivers are to stage further strikes in December in their long-running pay dispute.
The Aslef union announced a “rolling programme” of walkouts between 2 and 8 December, with different train operators affected on each day, and an overtime ban from 1 to 9 December.
Train services are expected to be cancelled on strike days. The rolling action affects the following companies:
- 2 December: East Midlands Railway and LNER
- 3 December: Avanti West Coast, Chiltern, Great Northern, Thameslink and West Midlands Trains
- 5 December: C2C and Greater Anglia
- 6 December: Southeastern, Southern, Gatwick Express, South Western Railway (main line and depot) and Island Line
- 7 December: CrossCountry and GWR
- 8 December: Northern and TPT.
Aslef has been in dispute with train operators for 18 months. In the spring, its members rejected their offer of a 4% pay rise over two years, backdated to 2022, as well as changes to working conditions.
Members of the RMT union also rejected that pay offer, but it has recently agreed a memorandum of understanding with the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, which sets out a process for a way forward in the RMT’s dispute.
The RMT has currently paused its strike campaign while its members vote on the deal.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said the results of its latest strike ballot demonstrate that Aslef members still reject the pay offer made back in April.
“Our members have spoken and we know what they think. Every time they vote – and they have voted overwhelmingly – for strike action in pursuit of a proper pay rise it is a clear rejection of the offer that was made in April,” he said.
The government recently said that minimum service levels during strikes are set to come in before Christmas. Train operators will be required to run the equivalent of 40% of their normal timetable on strike days, and will be able to issue work notices to unions specifying which staff will be required to work.
A draft code of practice on minimum service levels has been published, which unions have described as “unworkable”.
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