Industrial action is part of ASLEF’s long-running dispute with the Government.
The dates for a fresh round of strikes by ASLEF union members at the end of this month have now been confirmed.
As part of what is a very long-running dispute with the Department for Transport (DfT) over pay and working conditions, train drivers who are members of the ASLEF union have agreed to stage another series of strikes towards the end of this month and the start of the next.
It has been announced that strike action will take place on the nation’s rail networks between Tuesday 30 January and Monday 5 February 2024.
ASLEF members will walk out from 16 train operators over a number of dates throughout that week.
First up, on Tuesday 30 January, members will strike at Southeastern, GTR Southern/Gatwick Express, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, SWR Island Line, and South Western Railway, with Northern Trains and Transpennine Trains to follow on Wednesday 31 January.
Then, on Friday 2 February, strikes will be staged on Greater Anglia, C2C, and LNER services, before on West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast, and East Midlands Railway follow on Saturday 3 February, and Great Western, CrossCountry, and Chiltern close out the week of industrial action on Monday 5 February.
On top of these actual strike dates, an ‘overtime ban’ is also in place for the week, meaning further disruption to usual services is expected as drivers will also refuse to work overtime from Monday 29 January until Tuesday 6 February.
Train drivers will take strike action in January and February in a long-running dispute over pay.
A series of strikes will take place between Tue 30 Jan and Mon 5 Feb. And an overtime ban will be in place from Mon 29 Jan until Tue 6 Feb. https://t.co/yNH1ki8bfC
— ASLEF (@ASLEFunion) January 15, 2024
ASLEF strike dates January & February 2024
- Tuesday 30 January – Southeastern, GTR Southern/Gatwick Express, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, SWR Island Line, South Western Railway Depot Drivers, and South Western Railway mainline drivers
- Wednesday 31 January – Northern Trains, and Transpennine Trains
- Friday 2 February – Greater Anglia, C2C, and LNER
- Saturday 3 February – West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast, and East Midlands Railway
- Monday 5 February – Great Western Railway, CrossCountry, and Chiltern
“We have given the Government every opportunity to come to the table,” commented Mick Whelan, who is the General Secretary of ASLEF, as the fresh round of train driver strikes were announced yesterday.
“But it has now been a year since we had any contact from the Department for Transport, and it’s clear they do not want to resolve this dispute.“
Many of our members have now not had a single penny increase to their pay in half a decade, during which inflation soared, and with it the cost of living. Train drivers didn’t even ask for an increase during the COVID-§9 pandemic when they worked throughout as keyworkers, risking their lives to allow NHS and other workers to travel.
“The Government has now tried their old trick of changing the rules when they can’t win and brought in Minimum Service Levels legislation, but this new law, as we told officials during the consultation period, won’t ease industrial strife – it will likely just make it worse.”
Mr Whelan claimed there’s “no excuse” for the Government’s actions.
“The Government and train operating companies must come to the table with a realistic offer so we can end this dispute and work together to ensure the future of our railways,” he concluded.
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Featured Image – Northern
