New strikes have been announced by the train drivers’ union ASLEF.
Drivers will stage fresh industrial action and an overtime ban from the end of the month in a long-running pay dispute.
A programme of one-day strikes is designed to “pile pressure” on 16 train companies nationwide.
The announced dates and affected operators are:
• Tuesday 30 January: Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, GTR Thameslink, South Western Railway main line and depot drivers, SWR Island Line
• Wednesday 31 January: Northern and TransPennine
• Friday 2 February: C2C, Greater Anglia, LNER
• Saturday 3 February: Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains
• Sunday 5 February: Chiltern, CrossCounty, GWR
ASLEF members – who account for 96% of train drivers in England, Scotland and Wales – will also refuse to work on their rest days from 29 January to 6 February.
The union claims that train drivers have not had a pay rise since April 2019.
Mick Whelan, ASLEF’s general secretary, said: “We have given the government every opportunity to come to the table, but it is now a year since we had any contact from the Department for Transport. It’s clear they do not want to resolve this dispute.”
He went on to urge the government, and train operating companies, to “come to the table with a realistic offer so we can end this dispute”.
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