WHILE THE dispute involving members of the RMT was resolved at the end of November, train driver’s union ASLEF changed its tactics in early December with strikes held across the network but involving different train operating companies on different days – while union members also made themselves unavailable for overtime across all of the TOCs involved in the dispute of December 1-9.
In the staged regional walkouts, ASLEF members employed by East Midlands Railway and LNER took strike action on December 2; at Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railway, Great Northern Thameslink and West Midlands Trains on December 3; at c2c and Greater Anglia on December 5; at Southeastern, Southern and Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line, South Western Railway depot drivers, and South Western Railway Island Line on December 6; at CrossCountry and Great Western Railway on December 7; and at Northern and TransPennine Trains on December 8.
Many of the train operating companies involved advised passengers that services could be disrupted throughout the first week of December due to the combination of strike action and the overtime ban, with many of the operators relying on overtime working to run some of their services and to cover for staff absence and sickness.
Meanwhile, ASLEF has received the overwhelming support of its membership, which has voted in favour of renewing its strike mandate for a further six months following a re-ballot of members in accordance with legislation.
Mick Whelan, ASLEF’s general secretary, said: “We are in this for the long haul. Our members, who have not had a pay rise for nearly five years now, are determined that the train companies – and the Tory Government that stands behind them – do the right thing.
“The cost of living has soared since the spring and summer of 2019, when these pay deals ran out. The bosses
