Rail commuters should expect disruption for six days this week as train drivers, who are members of the Aslef trade union, stage an overtime ban.
Fifteen train operators in England will be affected by the overtime ban between Monday 3 July and Saturday 8 July. Many are running a reduced timetable, with short-notice cancellations likely and some first and last trains removed from their schedules. Another overtime ban will run from 17-22 July.
The union remains embroiled in a dispute over pay. Drivers have been offered a deal worth 4% for two years in a row, bringing drivers’ average pay to £65,000, but this has been rejected by Aslef.
General secretary Mick Whelan told the BBC’s Today programme that train operators “wanted to go back to Victorian times, in relation to how we roster, how we recruit, how we do things”.
“The word ‘reform’ is ‘want productivity for nothing’,” he said.
Announcing the overtime ban last month, Whelan said: “We have continually come to the negotiating table in good faith, seeking to resolve the dispute. Sadly, it is clear from the actions of both the train operating companies and the government that they do not want an end to the dispute. Their goals appear to be to continue industrial strife and to do down our industry.
“We don’t want to inconvenience the public. We just want to see our members paid fairly during a cost of living crisis when inflation is running at above 10%, and to not see our terms and conditions taken away.”
Last month, Aslef members at 10 operators backed a new mandate for strike action, but has not yet set any dates.
Members of the RMT, which is also disputing the pay offer, have also voted for further strikes, meaning disruption on the railways could last until November.
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RMT members, including train guards and station staff, are expected to strike on 20, 22 and 29 July.
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