Upcoming strikes on the National Rail Network and London Underground have been announced this Wednesday morning (March 20) by Aslef. Train drivers are set to strike over ongoing disputes over pay and conditions.
The strikes are expected to hit during the Easter holiday and once again in May. Alongside the walkouts, Aslef members will also refuse to work overtime on April 4-6 and April 8-9.
Who is striking?
Members of Aslef at 16 rail companies are set to initiate a strike. The companies include Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, CrossCountry, Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern, and TransPennine, c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line and depot drivers, and SWR Island Line
When will the strikes be?
Tube drivers will be walking out over two days on Monday April 8 and Saturday May 4.
These are the dates of the strikes and the rail companies striking on those days:
Friday April 5: Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, and CrossCountry.
Saturday April 6: Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Trains.
Monday April 8: c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line and depot drivers, and SWR Island Line.
What has Aslef said?
District organiser of Aslef, Finn Brennan, has commented, “Aslef Tube train drivers will strike in April and May in a long-running dispute over London Underground’s failure to give assurances that changes to our members’ terms and conditions will not be imposed without agreement and that all existing agreements will be honoured.
“Despite a previous commitment to withdraw plans for massive changes to drivers’ working conditions, London Underground management has established a full-time team of managers preparing to impose their plans.
“They want drivers to work longer shifts, spending up to 25 per cent more time in the cab, and to remove all current working agreements in the name of ‘flexibility and efficiency’.”
Mick Whelan, Aslef general secretary, has remarked that Aslef members overwhelmingly voted for a strike once again to show a direct rejection of the pay offer that was given to members in April last year.
