18 July 2023 , 09:48
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Millions of Brits will face ‘significant’ disruption to rail journeys during the summer holidays as train drivers have announced a week-long overtime ban, amid ongoing disputes over pay and working conditions.
Members of ASLEF union announced that industrial action will take place from Monday, July 31 to Saturday, August 5, affecting services across 15 train operating companies. This comes as the union says train companies do not employ enough drivers and are dependent on them offering work on rest days.
ASLEF's general secretary Mick Whelan said: "We don't want to take this action. We don't want people to be inconvenienced, but the blame lies with the train companies, and the government which stands behind them, which refuse to sit down and talk to us, and have not made a fair and sensible pay offer to train drivers who have not had one for four years - since 2019 - while prices have soared in that time by more than 12%.”
This follows three week-long bans on overtime working - May 15 to 20, July 3 to 8, and July 17 to 22 - which ASLEF says “seriously disrupted services” with trains cancelled all across the country. Mr Whelan claims that the 4% pay offer made on April 26 was “designed not to be accepted” and said the government and train companies “appear content to let this (action) drift on and on”.
A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the industry, said: "ASLEF's leadership continues to disrupt customers' travel plans. They rejected a fair and affordable offer, without putting it to their members, which would take average driver base salaries for a four-day week without overtime from £60,000 to nearly £65,000 by the end of 2023 pay awards.”
Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade
The move comes as separate rail union RMT plans to stage three more strikes, which will see 20,000 rail workers - including station staff, train managers and catering workers - across the UK walkout on Thursday July 20, Saturday July 22 and Saturday July 29.
The disruption to services at the height of the summer holidays could potentially cause misery for those heading on holidays or staycations by rail.
So what do YOU think? Do you support the train strikes?and leave your thoughts in the comment section below.