UK Train Drivers to Strike On August 26 and September 2, Disrupt Rail Network

More chaos awaits for people in the United Kingdom as 20,000 members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers and Aslef Union are set to walk off their jobs for a strike on August 26 and September 2. The fresh strike is part of their long-running dispute over pay.

Aslef Union highlighted that the strike would force train companies across England to cancel all services, while the overtime ban will seriously disrupt the rail network. It said privatized train-operating companies don’t have enough drivers to provide a proper service without employees working on their days off.

Mick Whelan, general secretary at Aslef Union, said the government and train companies have forced them to take action because they refuse to sit down and talk. They 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 the time by more than 12 percent.

“The government appears happy to let passengers, and businesses suffer in the mistaken belief that they can bully us into submission. They don’t care about passengers, or Britain’s railway, but they will not break us. Train drivers at these companies have not had a pay rise for four years, since 2019, which inflation has rocketed.”

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Whelan said they haven’t had a word from the employers. “We haven’t had a meeting, a phone call, a text message, or an email since April 26, and we haven’t had any contact with the government since January 6.” As such, the union warned of further industrial action if the deadlocked row continued. Members are pressing Aslef Union to go harder and faster.

However, the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, says further action by the Aslef leadership is unnecessary and will cause more disruption to passengers looking to enjoy various sporting events and the end of the summer holidays. It believes the union leadership has its head in the sand and refuses to put out fair and reasonable offer to their members.

“The offer would increase the average driver base salary for a four-day week without overtime from £60,000 to nearly £65,000 by the end of 2023. We want to give our staff a pay increase, but it has always been linked to implementing necessary, sensible reforms that would enhance services for our customers.”

The Rail Delivery Group urged the Aslef leadership to acknowledge the substantial financial challenges facing the rail industry and work together to achieve a more dependable and robust railway system for the future.