Rail strikes: train drivers announce new strike in November amid ongoing pay dispute - when will it happen?

Train drivers at 12 operators will take part in the strike later this month as they continue to be locked in negotiations with bosses over pay
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Train drivers are set to stage a strike later this month amid a pay dispute with bosses. It comes as a wave of strike action is set to hit the UK’s railways over the next month and in the run up to Christmas.

Aslef union members at 12 different train companies will take part in the strke, which is due to take place on Saturday 26 November. The train companies include Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, London North Eastern Railway, London Overground, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Transpennine Express, and West Midlands Trains.

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The union has been at the centre of the pay dispute, with fellow organisations such as RMT and TSSA also balloting members and staging strikes amid negotiations. Union members from these organisations are due to strike several time this month, and into December.

Aslef has said that members “don’t want to be taking this action”, describing it as the “last resort”. The Rail Delivery Group has described the strike action as “counterproductive” in the negotiations.

What has Aslef said about the strikes?

Union general secretary Mick Whelan said: “We regret that passengers will be inconvenienced for another day. We don’t want to be taking this action.

“Withdrawing our labour is always a last resort for a trade union. We have come to the table, as we always will, in good faith but while the industry continues to make no offer – due to the dodgy deal they signed with the Department for Transport – we have no choice but to take strike action again.

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“They want drivers to take a real terms pay cut. With inflation now well into double figures, train drivers who kept Britain moving through the pandemic are now being expected to work just as hard this year as last year but for less.

“Most of these drivers have not had an increase in salary since 2019. We want the companies – which are making huge profits – to make a proper pay offer so that our members can keep up with the cost of living.”

What has been the response to the strikes?

A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: “We are incredibly frustrated the Aslef leadership has decided to take further strike action.

“We regret Aslef’s decision, which will cause real disruption to passengers and hit its members’ pay packets. Instead of staging more counterproductive strike action which increases the very real financial challenge the industry is facing, we ask them to work with us to secure both a pay deal and the changes needed for it to thrive in the long term and improve reliability across the network.”

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