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Rail passengers face a brand new wave of disruption in December after train drivers announced extra strikes.
The Aslef union on Thursday outlined a “rolling programme” of strikes at 16 train corporations between December 2 and December 8, with drivers at totally different operators strolling out on every day.
Members have additionally been banned from working additional time between December 1 and December 9.
The union mentioned that spreading the strike motion would imply the “ramifications for the rail industry will be greater”.
“We are determined to win this dispute,” mentioned Mick Whelan, Aslef’s basic secretary.
Aslef mentioned its strikes would see drivers stroll out over six days:
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East Midlands Railway and LNER on Saturday December 2
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Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, Great Northern, Thameslink and West Midlands Trains on Sunday December 3
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C2C and Greater Anglia on Tuesday December 5
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Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway mainline and Island Line on Wednesday December 6
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CrossCountry and GWR on Thursday December 7
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Northern and TransPennine Express on Friday December 8
The strikes signify the most recent motion in a wave of public sector industrial motion that started within the rail sector final summer time earlier than spreading throughout the NHS, colleges and scores of presidency companies.
Although some pay disputes have now been settled, the federal government continues to be struggling to comprise the fallout from ongoing strikes by hospital consultants and junior docs in addition to the disruption to rail.
Aslef in April refused a authorities and business pay rise provide of 8 per cent over two years, tied to important reforms of working practices, which Whelan described as “a land grab for our terms and conditions”.
Transport secretary Mark Harper this week urged Aslef’s management to place the pay and reform provide again to its members, days after the RMT union reached an settlement with train operators to finish its nationwide strikes.
Aslef’s Whelan mentioned its “risible” provide from the business was “not on the table” because it had already been rejected.
The RMT deal, which have to be backed by members, would see staff given a backdated pay rise of 5 per cent for the 2022-23 monetary 12 months, with reforms negotiated subsequent 12 months. Local strikes would nonetheless be potential, however the RMT’s mandate for nationwide stoppages could be over.
Train corporations and the federal government have insisted that reforms are wanted to chop staffing prices, with business revenues down about 25 per cent from pre-pandemic ranges due to the slowdown in commuting.
Unions representing staff throughout the private and non-private sectors mentioned ministers have extended disputes by rejecting engagement and as a substitute pushing by controversial anti-strike laws.
On Thursday, the federal government revived plans to overturn a ban on utilizing company employees to interrupt strikes, a measure that was launched final 12 months solely to be struck down by the courts.
Ministers have additionally pressed forward with publishing steerage for employers and unions on new laws that may require named staff to offer a minimal service throughout public sector strikes.
Rail bosses don’t count on minimal service ranges to be in place in time for the Aslef strikes.
Paul Nowak, secretary-general on the Trades Union Congress,
mentioned the laws had been “designed to escalate disputes — not resolve them”.
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents the business, mentioned: “This wholly unnecessary strike action called by the Aslef leadership will sadly disrupt customers and businesses ahead of the vital festive period.
“The fair and affordable offer made by industry, which would take average driver base salaries for a four-day week from £60,000 to nearly £65,000, remains on the table,” it added.
