Major travel disruption across UK as train drivers strike over pay
13 August 2022
Rail passengers will face huge disruption today as train drivers at nine operating companies stage a 24-hour walkout in a row over pay and working conditions
Football fans, tourists and holidaymakers will be among tens of thousands of passengers affected by the strikes by members of Aslef.
Workers at nine train companies will walk out for 24 hours, crippling large parts of the network, with some parts of the country having no services.
Passengers are being urged not to travel where possible and to check their journeys before setting off.
The strikes will hit Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, LNER, London Overground, Southeastern and West Midlands Trains, with further industrial action planned in the coming weeks.
Passengers are also advised to consider starting journeys later on Sunday August 14.
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The 24-hour walkout coincides with another busy weekend of football, with Premier League games in Manchester, London, Birmingham and Brighton likely to be affected.
Passengers with advance, off-peak or anytime tickets affected by the strike can use their ticket either on the day before the date on the ticket, or up to and including Tuesday August 16, or can change their tickets to travel on an alternate date, or get a refund if their train is cancelled or rescheduled.
Aslef said that drivers on strike on Saturday have not had a pay increase for three years.
The union is also balloting drivers at Chiltern Railways, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express for strikes, with the results due later this month.
Dick Fisher, an organiser for Aslef, told LBC the strike is all about train drivers' pay, as he joined the picket line at Euston Station in London.
"They worked all through the pandemic and they haven't had a pay rise in three years, they're saying 'enough is enough'," he said.
"The employers aren't listening, we've put in pay claims for three years that are basically being ignored."
He said they are calling for a meeting with their employer to find a "sensible way forward", but claims they are "not talking to us".
Steve Montgomery, chair of the Rail Delivery Group, condemned Aslef's strikes, and said they are "damaging" for the economy.
He told LBC official talks will take place with Aslef and the RMT (National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers) next week in what he described a "good step forward".
Strikes will also take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday next week - with the rail network, Tube and London buses affected.
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