Train passengers face disruption at height of school summer holidays as fresh overtime ban announced | UK News

Prepare drivers will refuse to work extra time for per week on the peak of the varsity summer season holidays, threatening disruption to companies.

The motion – a part of a long-running dispute over pay – will happen from Monday 31 July to Saturday 5 August, the ASLEF union introduced.

It can have an effect on companies throughout 15 prepare working firms, and marks the fourth week-long ban on extra time since Might.

The union mentioned prepare firms don’t make use of sufficient drivers and are depending on them providing to work on relaxation days.

Full list of rail and Tube strike dates and services affected

ASLEF’s basic secretary Mick Whelan mentioned: “We do not need to take this motion. We do not need folks to be inconvenienced, however the blame lies with the prepare firms, and the federal government which stands behind them, which refuse to take a seat down and speak to us, and haven’t made a good and smart pay supply to coach drivers who haven’t had one for 4 years – since 2019 – whereas costs have soared in that point by greater than 12%.”

The prepare firms affected are: Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; Cross Nation; East Midlands Railway; Higher Anglia; Nice Western Railway; GTR Nice Northern Thameslink; Island Line; LNER; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Categorical; South Western Railway principal line; TransPennine Categorical; and West Midlands Trains.

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Mr Whelan mentioned a 4% pay enhance supply on 26 April was “designed to not be accepted” and accused prepare firms and the federal government of being content material to let the dispute “drift on and on”.

“Now we have not heard a phrase from the employers since then – not a gathering, not a telephone name, not a textual content message, nor an e-mail – for the final 12 weeks, and we’ve not sat down with the federal government since January 6,” he mentioned.

“That reveals how little the businesses and the federal government care about passengers and workers.”

Mr Whelan added: “We wish a good decision. That is why we’re taking this motion, to attempt to deliver issues to a head.”

The transfer comes as prepare driver members of ASLEF launched a week-long extra time ban starting at the moment, which the union warned will “severely” have an effect on companies.

It follows earlier week-long bans on working extra time in Might and earlier this month.

A Rail Supply Group spokesperson mentioned: “ASLEF’s management continues to disrupt clients’ journey plans. They rejected a good and reasonably priced supply, with out placing it to their members, which might take common driver base salaries for a four-day week with out extra time from £60,000 to almost £65,000 by the top of 2023 pay awards.

“Prepare firms will work exhausting to minimise the impression of the extra time ban at 13 prepare working firms between July 31 and August 5 that may have an effect on the extent of cancellations and the punctuality of some companies. Clients are suggested to plan their journey upfront and verify earlier than they journey.

“We ask ASLEF to recognise the very actual monetary problem the business is going through and work with us to ship a greater, extra dependable railway with a powerful long-term future.”