The rail drivers union, Aslef has announced a one-day strike will take place in the first week of the New Year as part of its long-running dispute over pay.
The strike will take place on Thursday 5th January 2023 — right in the middle of previously announced strikes by RMT members, which are due to take place on 3rd,4t, 6th and 7th January.
In effect, hardly any train services all week.
“We don’t want to go on strike but the companies have pushed us into this place,” said Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, which represents 96% of the train drivers in England, Scotland, and Wales. “They have not offered our members at these companies a penny – and these are people who have not had an increase since April 2019.”
Mick added: “The train companies say their hands have been tied by the government. While the government – which does not employ us – says it’s up to the companies to negotiate with us. We are always happy to negotiate – we never refuse to sit down at the table and talk – but these companies have offered us nothing. And that is unacceptable.”
The companies affected include
- Avanti West Coast
- Chiltern Railways
- CrossCountry
- East Midlands Railway
- Gatwick Express
- Great Western Railway (GWR)
- Greater Anglia
- Great Northern
- London North Eastern Railway (LNER)
- Northern Trains
- Southeastern
- Southern
- South Western Railway (depot drivers only)
- SWR Island Line
- Thameslink
- TransPennine Express
- West Midlands Trains
The strike announcement comes a couple of weeks after Aslef reballotted its members to renew its 6-month mandate to hold industrial action. They secured a 94% vote in favour, on an 85% turnout.
An offer from London Overground has been put to members with a recommendation to accept.
