The ongoing disputes over pay, jobs, and conditions are set to cause more strikes in the coming days, leading to severe reductions in train services. The drivers and other workers’ union members will walk out on Wednesday, June 2nd, and June 3rd, causing inconvenience for passengers. The Rail, Maritime, and Transport union (RMT) has also called for a strike on June 2nd.
Impact on Train Services
The strikes will affect around 15 train companies, causing disruptions in evening services on some lines before and after each strike. The services will start later than usual and finish much earlier, typically between 7.30 am and 6.30 pm. The RMT strike day will lead to the shutdown of half the network, with only 50% of normal services running. On the Aslef strike days, around 40% of trains will be running, with wide regional variations, and some operators running no services at all.
Impact on Passengers
The strikes will cause significant inconvenience to passengers who have planned their half-term holidays and are looking forward to attending events across the country, including the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium. The Aslef overtime ban starting on June 1st at 15 train operating companies could further cause disruptions, especially in and out of London. Passengers are advised to plan ahead and check the times of first and last trains.
Union Demands and Government Response
The union members have not received a pay offer that they can recommend to their members, and support for industrial action remains strong among workers and the public. The Aslef union claims that train drivers have not received a pay rise for four years, and the government is preventing the train companies from making an acceptable offer, which ministers deny.
Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, is determined to get a resolution and remains in this for the long haul. He believes that it is time for the government to step back from interference that is preventing a deal. Drivers deserve a pay rise in line with other workers after four years without one and inflation running over the last 12 months north of 10%.
The Department for Transport spokesperson said that the government has facilitated a fair and reasonable pay offer, and it is now up to the union leaders to do the right thing and put this to their members.
The strikes will lead to significant disruptions in train services, causing inconvenience to passengers and impacting events across the country. The union members are demanding a fair pay offer, which the government denies preventing. Passengers are advised to plan ahead and check the times of first and last trains.
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