The
drivers’
union
ASLEF


has
called
new
strikes
in
England
early
next
month.

The
union
said
its
members
will
strike
at
c2c,
Greater
Anglia,
Govia
Thameslink
Railway,
Southeastern,
South
Western
Railway
main
line
and
depot
drivers,
and
SWR
Island
Line
on
7
May.

On
8
May
there
will
be
stoppages
at
Avanti
West
Coast,
Chiltern
Railways,
CrossCountry,
East
Midlands
Railway,
Great
Western
Railway
and
West
Midlands
Trains,
while
on
9
May
the
stoppages
will
affect
LNER,
Northern
and
TransPennine
Express.

ASLEF
members
will
also
refuse
to
work
non-contractual
overtime
at
most
train
operators
in
England
from
6
to
11
May.

The
union’s
general
secretary
Mick
Whelan
said:
‘Our
pay
deals
at
these
companies
ran
out
in
2019.
Train
drivers
at
these
TOCs
have
not
had
an
increase
in
salary
for
five
years.
That
is
completely
wrong.
The
employers
–
and
the
government
–
think
we
are
going
to
give
up
and
run
away.
They’re
wrong.
In
the
words
of
Tom
Petty,
we
won’t
back
down.’ 

The
Rail
Delivery
Group
said:
‘This
wholly
unnecessary
strike
action
called
by
the
ASLEF
leadership
will
sadly
disrupt
customers
and
businesses
once
again,
while
further
damaging
the
railway
at
a
time
when
taxpayers
are
continuing
to
contribute
an
extra
£54
million
a
week
just
to
keep
services
running.

‘We
continue
to
seek
a
fair
agreement
with
the
ASLEF
leadership
which
both
rewards
our
people,
gives
our
customers
more
reliable
services
and
makes
sure
the
railway
isn’t
taking
more
than
its
fair
share
from
taxpayers.’

Meanwhile,
the
RMT
has
rejected
a
pay
offer
from
Network
Rail
of
3.5
per
cent,
pointing
to
the
latest
increase
in
MPs’
salaries
of
of
5.5
per
cent,
but
ASLEF
has
called
off
a
London
Underground
strike
which
it
had
planned
for
8
May,
saying
that
‘key
issues’
had
been
’successfully
resolved’.