Train drivers on the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) line have announced new weekend strikes, just two days after being offered a union-backed pay deal as part of a separate dispute. The drivers, represented by the ASLEF (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen) union, will go on strike for 22 days on Saturdays and Sundays starting in two weeks.
The strikes will affect trains running along the east coast line from London and Edinburgh. The dates for the strikes are every Saturday from August 31st to November 9th and every Sunday from September 1st to November 10th.
This industrial action is unrelated to the ongoing pay dispute, which has been ongoing since the summer of 2022. The government has made an offer to settle the issue and ASLEF has recommended its members accept the deal. The proposal will be voted on by members before it can be officially accepted.
According to ASLEF, this latest dispute is due to claims of “bullying” behavior by LNER management and the “persistent breaking” of agreements. Mick Whelan, the union’s general secretary, stated that the company has repeatedly broken agreements and acted in bad faith, and the union is not willing to tolerate such behavior.
An LNER spokesperson stated that their priority is to minimize disruption for customers during the strikes, but they were surprised and disappointed by the news. They had been having constructive conversations with ASLEF and will continue to work towards ending the dispute.
The Department for Transport also expressed disappointment and called on both ASLEF and LNER to work towards a resolution as quickly as possible for the sake of passengers.
If the government’s offer is accepted, ASLEF members will receive backdated pay raises, including a 5% increase for the 2022 to 2023 financial year, a 4.75% increase for 2023 to 2024, and a 4.5% increase for this year into next. This will also benefit former members who have since retired or left the profession, as the award is retrospective.
According to the Daily Mail, as many as 2,000 former train drivers may benefit from the pay raise, but ASLEF does not recognize this figure and does not know the exact number of former members who may be affected. The Department for Transport did not provide a comment when asked about this.
Conservative’s shadow rail minister Kieran Mullan expressed disappointment in the situation, stating that after offering a “no-strings-attached” pay deal to a union that supports Labour, it is not surprising that more strikes are being planned. He also criticized Labour for encouraging unions to take anti-passenger actions and putting the rail network at their mercy while passengers suffer.
