UK prepare drivers are planning a nationwide strike over pay this month, marking the primary co-ordinated industrial motion by them in 27 years, whereas different rail employees have additionally introduced an additional two days of walkouts of their very own in August.
The prepare drivers’ union Aslef mentioned the one-day strike on July 30 was the results of rail corporations failing to make a pay provide consistent with the rising price of residing.
The motion will mark the primary taken by drivers collectively since 1995 and would be the newest disruption on the rail community. A strike final month by RMT union employees centered on workers at Network Rail, the supplier of Britain’s railway infrastructure, and greater than a dozen prepare operators.
It introduced the community to a standstill, and trade executives concern a walkout by drivers might be extra disruptive for affected strains, as there are only a few back-up choices to switch putting drivers, aside from a comparatively small pool of managers who’re additionally educated drivers.
Together with a walkout on July 27, which the RMT introduced on Wednesday after rejecting a “paltry” pay provide and vowing to proceed putting “for as long as it takes”, Aslef’s motion will coincide with the beginning of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on July 28, threatening to hit attendance.
Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, mentioned Aslef was “cynically orchestrating” strike dates to coincide with the video games, with union bosses “determined to cause as much misery as possible”. He added that prepare drivers on common earn just below £60,000 a yr, greater than twice the nationwide common.
The RMT on Thursday night introduced two additional days of strikes by its members for subsequent month — for August 18 and 20 — throughout 14 prepare working corporations.
Aslef members at eight corporations — Arriva Rail London, Chiltern Railways, Greater Anglia, Great Western, Hull Trains, LNER, Southeastern and West Midlands Trains — will participate within the walkout.
Drivers at particular person prepare operators have gone on strike just lately however Aslef’s is a co-ordinated transfer that might trigger disruption throughout the nation.
“We don’t want to inconvenience passengers, not least because our friends and families use public transport,” mentioned Aslef common secretary Mick Whelan. “We consider in constructing belief within the railways in Britain — and we don’t need to lose cash by happening strike.
“But we’ve been forced into this position by the train companies, driven by the Tory government. The drivers at the companies where we are striking have had a real-terms pay cut over the past three years,” he added.
RMT common secretary Mick Lynch mentioned after asserting his union’s two recent strike dates that the rail trade and authorities wanted to know that the dispute over pay, job safety and dealing situations wouldn’t merely vanish. “Now Grant Shapps has abandoned his forlorn hopes for the job of prime minister, he can get back to his day job and help sort this mess out,” he mentioned.
Other unions are additionally consulting about additional walkouts. TSSA, which largely represents managers and supervisors, has balloted 10 prepare operators and Network Rail. It is predicted to announce strike dates inside days.
Source: www.ft.com