Members of Aslef walking during the Easter school holidays. Photo: NEIL HALL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Train drivers on the company's 16th rail are set to stage a new wave of strikes in a long-running pay dispute that threatens to upset families across the country during the Easter school holidays.
The strikes are the latest in a series of strikes. union Aslef for 20 months.
Union leaders have announced separate strikes affecting the London Underground.
Here's everything you need to know about the national rail strikes:
When will the strikes take place?
- Thursday, April 4 – Saturday, April 6: Aslef members will refuse to work over the weekend
- Friday, April 5 — Monday, April 8: Aslef employees will undertake a rolling program of one-day strikes from April 5 to 8, as well as a six-day ban for overtime work.
- Monday, April 8th. – Tuesday, April 9: Members will refuse to work over the weekend.
Which train lines are affected?
Friday, April 5:Drivers will strike on West Coast Avanti, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands and CrossCountry.
Saturday 6 April:Strikes affect Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern and TransPennine. .
Monday, April 8:Strikes will take place at c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway and main line and depot drivers. and the SWR Island line.
Why are there strikes?
Aslef union says it wants to increase pressure on «intransigent» rail companies and a «deaf» government after a series of strikes lasting 20 months.
Train drivers have not received a pay rise for five years, since April 2019, Aslef said. Union bosses said they had been in talks with train operators represented by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) but had heard nothing more since receiving a new mandate last month for another six months of industrial action.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “Last month, when we announced the renewal of industrial action mandates because under Tory draconian anti-union laws we must vote for our members every six months, we approached the train companies and the government. to come to the table and meaningfully negotiate a new wage agreement for train drivers who have not received a pay rise since 2019.
“Our members voted overwhelmingly — once again — to strike .< /p>
“These votes show clear rejection by train drivers of the ridiculous proposal made to us in April last year by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), who knew the proposal would be rejected because it was a land grab under all the terms we had agreed upon. over the years has never been accepted by our members.
“Since then, train drivers have voted again and again for the adoption of measures to increase wages. That's why Mark Harper, the transport secretary, is being disingenuous when he says the proposal should have been addressed to members.
“Drivers wouldn't vote for strike again and again and again if they thought it was a good proposal. That proposal failed last April, and Mr Harper knows it.
“We have given the Government every opportunity to come to the table, but it is now clear that they do not want to resolve this dispute. . They're glad it's going on and on.»
What did the train companies say?
A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents 16 train operators affected by the strikes, said: «Nobody wins when industry actions influence people's lives and livelihoods, and we will work hard to minimize any disruption to our passengers.
“We want to resolve this dispute, but Aslef management must recognize that taxpayers are in dire straits , are continuing to contribute an extra £54 million a week just to keep services going post-Covid.
“We continue to seek an agreement with Aslef’s management and remain open to negotiations to find a solution to this dispute.” .
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