Northern and LNER train drivers to stage one-day strike and ban overtime

15 February 2024 , 09:04

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Members of train drivers' union Aslef will stage their walkout on March 1 (Photo credit: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)

Train drivers from Northern and LNER are planning a one-day strike due to what they claim is 'bad faith shown by companies'.

Members of train drivers' union Aslef will stage their walkout on March 1 and refuse to do any overtime from February 29. The union claims that agreements made with the companies are not being respected. Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, expressed his frustration: "We are fed up to the back teeth with the bad faith shown, day after day, week after week, and month after month by these two companies."

He continued: "We always stick to agreements which we make. These companies think they can break agreements which they freely enter into whenever it suits them."

Whelan warned: "This is a shot across their bows and a sign of things to come. They need to stop what they are doing, start to behave properly and honourably, because their drivers our members are no longer prepared to be treated like this."

An LNER spokesperson responded: "Our priority focus remains on minimising disruption to customers during Aslef strikes, which sadly will continue to cause disruption and delays. We encourage Aslef to continue to work with us to find a way to end this long-running dispute which only damages the rail industry."

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