Train drivers belonging to the Aslef union and working for LNER will resume strike action on 31 August – and continue for 11 weekends, up to and including 10 January. Their last walk-out was in May. But the reason for this stoppage is very different.
The previous pay dispute rumbled on for three summers and was finally settled with a no-strings pay offer by the incoming Labour government. This fresh bout of industrial action, announced two days after the agreement to boost wages by 15 per cent over three years, solely involves LNER . This is the state-owned train operator on the East Coast main line, which connects London King’s Cross with Yorkshire, northeast England and Scotland.
Aslef accuses the rail firm of “bullying by management and persistent breaking of agreements”. LNER says: “We are surprised and disappointed to hear this news following recent constructive conversations.” Caught in the middle, once again, the long-suffering passenger.
These are the key questions and answers. Train drivers will stop work every weekend from 31 August/1 September to 9/10 November. The walk-outs are aimed much more at holidaymakers, football fans and students returning to university than commuters.
Saturday and Sunday are two of the busiest days of the week for rail travel, and naturally Aslef intends to cause as much disruption as possible. Nigel Roebuck, Aslef’s full-time officer in northeast England, who leads on negotiations with LNER, says: “LNER does not employ en.