Aslef, the union representing train drivers, has announced that London North Eastern Railway (LNER) will be hit by weekend strikes between September and November. The minister for Transport Louise Haigh announced a 14% salary increase for train drivers this week. However, Aslef says this action against LNER is a separate issue and has resulted from a breakdown in industrial relations.

Walkouts are planned for every Saturday between 31^st August to 9^th November and every Sunday from 1^st September to 10^th November. LNER operates on the East Coast mainline between London and Edinburgh, including major cities such as Newcastle, York and Durham. Mark Whelan of Aslef said the union was forced to take the 22-day strike action due to LNER’s ‘repeatedly’ breaking agreements, acting in ‘bad faith’ and of ‘boorish behaviour and bullying tactics.’ An LNER spokesperson said that they were ‘surprised’ by the decision and took ‘accusations of bullying very seriously.’  They said that they would continue to work with the union ‘to end this long-running dispute which only damages the rail industry.’

UK rail passengers have had to deal with persistent disruptions and cancellations due to strikes for the last two years. The Aslef union represents 21,000 workers, including 96% of all the train drivers across the UK. It has encouraged its members to accept this week’s offering from the government, which includes back date pay increases from 2019. The dispute with LNER is, according to Aslef’s negotiator Nigel Roebuck, down to the fact that LNER ‘does not employ enough drivers to deliver the services it has promised passengers and the government.’

However, this announcement does threaten to embarrass the new Government which had hoped that last week’s pay deal would see an end to the rail turbulence. Ms Haigh’s spokesperson claimed she had called on both Aslef and LNER to ‘get around the table to resolve this dispute as quickly as possible’. Shadow transport minister Kieran Mullan has been quick to capitalize on this early disappointment for the Labour minister. ‘All Labour are doing is encouraging the unions into more of this anti-passenger action, putting our railway at the beck and call of unions, whilst passengers pay the price.’ He said this is simply ‘a taste of what is to come.’

Meanwhile, Scotrail is also currently being ballotted for strike action over pay, while on Friday the RMT Union, representing rail workers such as guards and signalling staff, which had ended their pay dispute with the previous Conservative Government, announced they expected the same terms as those offered to the train drivers to be offered to their members. In a week when Labour hoped to be congratulating themselves on ending rail disruptions, the threat of further strikes down the track will be a cause for concern.

(Sources: bbc.co.uk)