ASLEF strikes 5th-8th April weekend

[mandub]

Usual rolling strikes and OT ban
☹️

 

[father_jack]

Posted to clarify where and when.

ASLEF members at Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains and CrossCountry will strike on Friday, April 5 while drivers at Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Trains will do so on Saturday, April 6.

Union members at c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line and depot drivers, and SWR Island Line will strike on Monday, April 8.

 

[YorkRailFan]

Train drivers who are members of ASLEF, the train drivers’ trade union, will take part in another programme of rolling one-day strikes, coupled with a six-day overtime ban, as we increase the pressure on 16 intransigent train companies – and the tone-deaf Tory government that stands behind them – to get train drivers, who have now not had a pay rise for five years, since April 2019, the salary increase they deserve.



Members will walk out at Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, and CrossCountry on Friday 5 April; at Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Trains on Saturday 6 April; and at c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line and depot drivers, and SWR Island Line on Monday 8 April.



Members will also refuse to work their rest days from Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 April and from Monday 8 to Tuesday 9 April.



GS Mick Whelan said: ‘Last month, when we announced renewed mandates for industrial action, because, under the Tories’ draconian anti-union laws, we have to ballot our members every six months, we called on the train companies, and the government, to come to the table for meaningful talks to negotiate a new pay deal for train drivers who have not had an increase in salary since 2019.



‘Our members voted overwhelmingly – yet again – for strike action. Those votes show – yet again – a clear rejection by train drivers of the ridiculous offer put to us in April last year by the Rail Delivery Group which knew that offer would be rejected because a land grab for all the terms & conditions we have negotiated over the years would never be accepted by our members.

‘Since then train drivers have voted, time and again, to take action in pursuit of a pay rise. That’s why Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, is being disingenuous when he says that offer should have been put to members. Drivers wouldn’t vote for industrial action, again and again and again, if they thought that was a good offer. They don’t. That offer was dead in the water in April last year – and Mr Harper knows that.

‘We asked Mr Harper, or his deputy, the Rail Minister Huw Merriman, to come and meet us. We asked the RDG and the TOCs to come and talk to us. We said, “Let’s sit around the table and negotiate.” Because you say you don’t want any more industrial action, and we don’t want to disrupt the rail network, but the Tories and the TOCs have given us no choice.

‘We haven’t heard from Mr Harper, Mr Merriman, the RDG, or the TOCs since those new mandates were announced four weeks ago. In fact, Mr Harper hasn’t deigned to talk to us since December 2022; Mr Merriman hasn’t talked to us since January 2023; and the RDG has not seen fit to join us in the room since April last year.

‘We have given the government every opportunity to come to the table but it is now clear they do not want to resolve this dispute. They are happy for it go on and on. Because we are not going to give up. Many members have now not had a single penny increase in pay for half a decade, during which time inflation has soared and, with it, the cost of living. We didn’t ask for an increase during the pandemic, when we worked through lockdown, as key workers, risking our lives, to move goods around the country and enable NHS and other workers to get to work.

ASLEF: Strike Action | ASLEF

More strikes across the rail network in pursuit of a pay rise for drivers who have not had an increase in salary for five years - since 2019

aslef.org.uk

Includes an OT ban on rest days between 4 April and 6 April, 8 April and 9 April, expect the same old response by RDG and Harper about how their offer is the best one.

 

[brad465]

What property(ies) does Sunday have that means it is almost never a day for strike action? My assumption is it's a low demand day for travel and/or engineering works limit the amount of strike-induced disruption anyway, but would be good to get clarity.

Also I notice the Easter season is really getting to ASLEF with the typo on that image

 

[zwk500]

What property(ies) does Sunday have that means it is almost never a day for strike action? My assumption is it's a low demand day for travel and/or engineering works limit the amount of strike-induced disruption anyway, but would be good to get clarity.

Also I notice the Easter season is really getting to ASLEF with the typo on that image

Are Sundays outside the working week for drivers of the relevant TOCs?

 

[Kite159]

What property(ies) does Sunday have that means it is almost never a day for strike action? My assumption is it's a low demand day for travel and/or engineering works limit the amount of strike-induced disruption anyway, but would be good to get clarity.

Also I notice the Easter season is really getting to ASLEF with the typo on that image

Sundays can be massively affected with overtime bans on some operators.

More pointless strike action, not like it will make a blind bit of difference other to the pockets of the staff striking. Similar to the countless previous rounds of strikes. Afterall Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

 

[Goldfish62]

Undoubtedly not a coincidence that ASLEF have also announced a tube strike on 8th April.

 

[Snow1964]

Monotonous,

didn't get any result last 2 times they did this, so why repeat a failed action, or is this just lose members more pay pointlessly to make union justify its fee

 

[43066]

More pointless strike action, not like it will make a blind bit of difference other to the pockets of the staff striking. Similar to the countless previous rounds of strikes.

Most ASLEF members can see the point.

Monotonous,

didn't get any result last 2 times they did this, so why repeat a failed action, or is this just lose members more pay pointlessly to make union justify its fee

It’s keeping the dispute in the public eye, not costing most staff a penny (as most can make it up in overtime). We all know we’re waiting either for a change in approach or an election.

 

[Horizon22]

What property(ies) does Sunday have that means it is almost never a day for strike action? My assumption is it's a low demand day for travel and/or engineering works limit the amount of strike-induced disruption anyway, but would be good to get clarity.

Often outside the working week or reliant on overtime so either a) people just opt out or b) is covered by the overtime ban.

There is also lower demand anyway, as you say and always some engineering works taking place.

 

[Mag_seven]

Sundays can be massively affected with overtime bans on some operators.

Except there is no overtime ban on the Sunday in this round.

 

[Krokodil]

I wonder if the operators will dare to attempt to use the MSL laws this time. LNER ended up with egg on its face when they tried it before.

 

[MikeWM]

I wonder if GTR will manage to run a better service during this overtime ban than what they've managed previously. Oh, who am I kidding, we all know they won't.

Still, in personal terms, I don't seem to have done too badly in 'strike roulette' this time, that's the one weekend in the next month or so that I didn't have plans. But it is increasingly tedious for those of us who rely on trains that we're now into our *5th year* of not being able to make concrete plans more than a couple of weeks in advance. Some normality would be very welcome.

I think it would have been preferable if, rather than passing the stupid MSL legislation, the government had instead just increased the amount of notice required for a strike in an ongoing (/neverending) dispute like this. 4 weeks notice is a lot better than 2, especially for eg. booking hotels.

 

[ainsworth74]

I think it would have been preferable if, rather than passing the stupid MSL legislation, the government had instead just increased the amount of notice required for a strike in an ongoing (/neverending) dispute like this. 4 weeks notice is a lot better than 2, especially for eg. booking hotels.

Sorry, you want this government to try and govern in a way that achieves tangible results rather than just positive headlines in friendly media outlets? When did you develop this taste for luxuries?

 

[Elecman]

Well that’s my Wedding Anniversary surprise scuppered

 

[MikeWM]

Sorry, you want this government to try and govern in a way that achieves tangible results rather than just positive headlines in friendly media outlets? When did you develop this taste for luxuries?

I'm certainly no fan of this government - but do seriously question the idea that the alternative on offer is going to do any better, either at solving these strikes or indeed with a myriad of other issues. I guess we'll see relatively soon!

I also agree that there is a genuine grievance here, though I continue to question whether the tactics currently being used are actually helping, because it doesn't appear so.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I also agree that there is a genuine grievance here, though I continue to question whether the tactics currently being used are actually helping, because it doesn't appear so.

I suspect they would have to go "all out" to actually get an effect, i.e. fully close the railway until an agreement is in place.

 

[Goldfish62]

Except there is no overtime ban on the Sunday in this round.

Last time there wasn't a Sunday overtime ban, but GWR couldn't run any long distance services from Paddington because drivers simply took the decision "individually" not to volunteer for a rest day.

 

[bengley]

Well that’s my Wedding Anniversary surprise scuppered

That's unfortunate. Can you not use alternative means of travel?

 

[dk1]

I wonder if the operators will dare to attempt to use the MSL laws this time. LNER ended up with egg on its face when they tried it before.

I would say zero chance.

 

[Facing Back]

I suspect they would have to go "all out" to actually get an effect, i.e. fully close the railway until an agreement is in place.

I wonder who would cave first in this very unlikely scenario. I'd guess that it would force MSL legislation into use on commuter lines - even if the TOCs don't want to use it...

Surely its much more likely we'll keep the constant drip of action until November and then a new round of negotiation with a different mandate. Whether a new government will move enough to satisfy the unions is anyone's guess though - I know many her have strong opinions on this

I would say zero chance.

You don't think that the government will start to exert increasing amounts of pressure on TOCs to use it?

 

[dk1]

You don't think that the government will start to exert increasing amounts of pressure on TOCs to use it?

They can try but it seems unworkable. My TOC has said it had no intention of bringing it in when last I heard.

 

[Smidster]

Well that is one way for ASLEF to stop me from getting to run my half-marathon and probably my fathers funeral so that is just peachy.

But I am sure that strike day 73 will do what the previous 72 didn't - And if there is a new Government at some point it won't matter...pay of high earning train drivers is not a priority for very limited funding.

 

[Bletchleyite]

But I am sure that strike day 73 will do what the previous 72 didn't - And if there is a new Government at some point it won't matter...pay of high earning train drivers is not a priority for very limited funding.

The issue isn't really pay - even a sub inflation 5% or similar would probably get through, it has elsewhere.

It's the strings attached which require immense and unreasonable flexibility. I'm not in the slightest bit militant but I'd vote to strike over it without any question.

 

[Goldfish62]

They can try but it seems unworkable. My TOC has said it had no intention of bringing it in when last I heard.

Yes, as Richard Bowler very clearly explained on the Green Signals podcast up to 80% of staff would need to be rostered to provide 40% of the service on each route. And before anyone asks, the interpretation of the poorly written legislation is that it requires a 40% service level not by TOC, but by route and throughout each route.

It's simply not going to happen. The legislation is nonsense and unworkable.

 

[yorkie]

The issue isn't really pay - even a sub inflation 5% or similar would probably get through, it has elsewhere.

It's the strings attached which require immense and unreasonable flexibility. I'm not in the slightest bit militant but I'd vote to strike over it without any question.

Aslef imply that it is:

ASLEF: Strike Action | ASLEF

More strikes across the rail network in pursuit of a pay rise for drivers who have not had an increase in salary for five years - since 2019

aslef.org.uk

20/03/2024 - ASLEF announces a new programme of rolling strikes

More strikes across the rail network in pursuit of a pay rise for drivers who have not had an increase in salary for five years - since 2019

However if the suggestion is that Aslef are being disingenuous, well I'm not going to argue against that.

 

[MikeWM]

The issue isn't really pay - even a sub inflation 5% or similar would probably get through, it has elsewhere.

It's the strings attached which require immense and unreasonable flexibility. I'm not in the slightest bit militant but I'd vote to strike over it without any question.

ASLEF seem to have been really poor at communicating that fact though. Even the press release above only mentions T&Cs once but mentions pay rises numerous times. (They don't do themselves any favours by dredging up 'risking their lives' being 'key workers' during covid either, at least in my book - what's that got to do with anything they're striking about now?)

The RMT seemed to get much better cut-through with the message that their strikes weren't just about pay, and as a result it seems they got rather more public support.

 

[northwichcat]

I do find ASLEF's reference to London North Easter trains amusing. Someone was obviously thinking of something else when typing it!

 

[Sly Old Fox]

The issue is a lack of payrise, for five years now. An offer has been made for a below inflation payrise, with a whole host of strings attached that is not acceptable to ASLEF. The same below inflation offer with a lack of strings attached would be accepted, but it hasn’t been offered.

I’m not sure how it could be written any more clearly.

 

[northwichcat]

ASLEF seem to have been really poor at communicating that fact though. Even the press release above only mentions T&Cs once but mentions pay rises numerous times. (They don't do themselves any favours by dredging up 'risking their lives' being 'key workers' during covid either, at least in my book - what's that got to do with anything they're striking about now?)

The RMT seemed to get much better cut-through with the message that their strikes weren't just about pay, and as a result it seems they got rather more public support.

I've always got the impression ASLEF take the view disputes are between the workers and the employer.

The RMT seem happy to circulate misinformation in trying to get the public to support them. For example, not explaining that that the proposal for driver only trains on Northern did not include plans for services to be scheduled to operate with just a driver on board.