UK

Railways set for fresh disruption as Aslef union announces new overtime ban for train drivers

Matt Watts and Josh Salisbury
Mon, 24 July 2023 

Londoners are facing further rail disruption after union Aslef announced another overtime ban from August 7 to 12 in their long-running dispute over pay.

The action, if it goes ahead, will mean disruption to rail schedules at the height of the summer holidays.

Under the industrial action, members of Aslef at 15 train companies in England will refuse to work overtime.

The union said the ban will seriously disrupt services as it believes none of the train companies employs enough drivers.

The move will affect Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; Cross Country; East Midlands Railway; Greater Anglia; Great Western Railway; GTR Great Northern Thameslink; Island Line; LNER; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Express; South Western Railway main line; TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains.

It will be the fifth week-long ban on working overtime since May. The latest ban ended on Saturday, with another one due from July 31 to August 5.

Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, said: “We don’t want to take this action - because we don’t want people to be inconvenienced - but the train companies, and the government which stands behind them, have forced us into this place because they 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%.”

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union staged two strikes last week and will walk out again on Saturday in a bitter row over pay, jobs and conditions.

However, a proposed Tube strike this week which threatened to bring the capital to a halt have been called off after talks.

Those strikes, which would have stopped the Tube for four days this week, were called off after “significant progress” was made in talks between unions and TfL.

The Rail Delivery Group, which is representing train operating companies in the talks, said Aslef was continuing “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 4 day week without overtime from £60,000 to nearly £65,000 by the end of 2023 pay awards,” said a spokesman.

“Train companies will work hard to minimise the impact of the overtime ban overtime ban at 13 train operating companies between 7 and 12 August that will affect the level of cancellations and the punctuality of some services.”

Train companies are advising passengers to plan their journey in advance and check the latest travel information before they travel.

Train drivers’ union announces fresh overtime ban in pay dispute

Alan Jones, PA Industrial Correspondent
Mon, 24 July 2023 at 3:45 am GMT-6·2-min read

Train drivers are to stage another week-long overtime ban in a long-running dispute over pay, threatening fresh disruption to services at the height of the summer holidays.

Members of Aslef at 15 train companies in England will refuse to work overtime from Monday August 7 to Saturday August 12.

The union said the ban will seriously disrupt services, claiming that none of the train companies employs enough drivers.


The move will affect Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; Cross Country; East Midlands Railway; Greater Anglia; Great Western Railway; GTR Great Northern Thameslink; Island Line; LNER; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Express; South Western Railway main line; TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)

It will be the fifth week-long ban on working overtime since May.

The latest ban ended on Saturday, with another one due from July 31 to August 5.

Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, said: “We don’t want to take this action – because we don’t want people to be inconvenienced – but the train companies, and the government which stands behind them, have forced us into this place because they 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%.”

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union staged two strikes last week and will walk out again on Saturday in a bitter row over pay, jobs and conditions.

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, 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.

“Train companies will work hard to minimise the impact of the overtime ban that will affect the level of cancellations and the punctuality of some services. Customers are advised to plan their journey in advance and check the latest travel information before they travel.

“We ask Aslef to recognise the very real financial challenge the industry is facing and work with us to deliver a better, more reliable railway with a strong long-term future.”