Aslef General Secretary Mick Whelan (centre) with striking railway workers on a picket line outside London Euston station. Photo: EDDIE MULHOLLAND for The Telegraph.
Passengers across the UK are facing further unrest after train drivers' union Aslef and Tube workers' union RMT announced further strikes.
Aslef members timed their latest strikes to disrupt the Conservative Party conference. The union has so far called 12 one-day strikes in a 16-month wage dispute.
The latest strikes will force 16 train companies to cancel all services, and a ban on overtime on certain days will seriously disrupt the network.
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Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “While we regret having to take this decision, action — we don't want to lose a day's wages or disrupt passengers when they try to travel by train — the government and employers have forced us to take this position.
< p>Our members did not do this. Currently, wages have been rising for four years — since 2019 — and this is wrong, given that prices have risen sharply in that time.
“Train drivers quite reasonably want to be able to buy now what they could have bought four years ago.”
Meanwhile, London Underground workers have announced new strikes in a dispute over job cuts and working conditions.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch says station staff «play a vital role» in helping passengers on the rail and tube. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA
Union general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Staff workers are fed up with their livelihoods being threatened by job losses and attacks on their conditions.”
“Station staff have a vital role to play in helping vulnerable passengers gain access. network and ensuring the metro is a safe environment for passengers. Job cuts and attacks on conditions will lead to increased staff shortages at stations, temporary closures and increased passenger dissatisfaction.
“TfL budgets have been slashed, but the savings made by cutting staff at stations will be wiped out and will lead to unacceptable shortages.
“This strike will lead to the closure of the metro and we call on Mayor Sadiq Khan to urgently meet with us to discuss this issue.”
When will the train and metro strikes take place?
Aslef union will hold strikes:
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- Saturday, September 30 – train strike
- Wednesday, October 4 – train and metro strike
- Friday, October 6 – metro strike
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Members will introduce a ban on overtime work on the rail network on:
- Friday 29 September
- Monday 2 October to Friday 6 October .
1608 uk. strikes September October Which railway companies are affected?
Railway companies affected:
- Avanti West Coast
- C2C
- Caledonian Sleeper
< li>Chiltern Railway
- Cross Country
- East Midlands Railway
- Gatwick Express
- Greater England
- GWR
- GTR Great Northern Thameslink
- Heathrow Express
- Island Line
- LNER
- Northern Trains
- Southeast
- South
- Gatwick Express
- South Western Railway Main Line
- Stansted Express
- SWR Depot Drivers
- TransPennine Express
< li>West Midlands Trains
Advice for traveling during train strikes
National Rail is warning passengers to expect “significant disruption” during strike days. Services may also be interrupted and start later on the next day.
National Rail advises passengers:
- Use the Trip Planner. Passengers should check the times of each strike.
- Use the Live Trains page for the most up-to-date arrival and departure information.
- Plan ahead and check before travel. travel. This includes checking your entire journey, especially if you are traveling on the first and last train on strike days.
Closing ticket offices at train stations
Almost all ticket offices at stations are closing and staff are moving to platforms and concourses, according to the Rail Delivery Group (RDG). Ticket offices will remain open only at the busiest stations.
Posters have been posted at stations informing passengers of possible closures. The Government will make a final decision on which positions will be cut following consultation. It is unknown how quickly the first offices will close, but the closure program is expected to last three years.
Why is Aslef on strike?
Aslef members are going on strike to demand higher wages.
The union criticized the government for failing to meet its negotiating team — general secretary Mick Whelan, assistant general secretary Simon Weller and executive committee president Dave Calf.
The last time they met with employers' representatives, Rail Delivery Group, as part of the agreed post-pandemic structure of the Rail Industry Recovery Group in April.
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Mr Whelan added: “Do you remember Where's Wally?” So what we want to know is where is Harper?
“The last time we saw the Minister of Transport was in December.
“The last time we saw Hugh Merriman, the Minister of Railways, in January.
“And the last time we saw the railway companies was in April.
“Nothing since then. Nada. Zilch. Not a letter, not an email, not a text message, not a phone call, not a WhatsApp. Not a word!”
Do you support the ASLEF drivers’ strike?
This article is updated daily with the latest news.
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