Wimbledon: Train drivers at 16 rail operators target key dates in move set to cause chaos for historic event
The action will clash with the first week of the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
PA
Train drivers at 16 rail operators will refuse to work overtime for six days next month in the long running dispute over pay.
Aslef said its members will withdraw non-contractual overtime – known as rest day working – from Monday July 3 to Saturday July 8.
The action will clash with the first week of the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
It comes after drivers for Avanti West Coast and LNER already announced further industrial action next month, sparking disruption on both of Britain’s main lines from London to Scotland.
The action will clash with the first week of the Wimbledon tennis tournament
PA
Members of Aslef at Avanti West Coast will strike on 2 July, while drivers employed by London North Eastern Railway will refuse to work overtime from 1 July until further notice.
Aslef said the dispute with Avanti West Coast is over sick pay changes, and LNER is accused of failing to adhere to “agreed procedures”.
The overtime ban could prove more disruptive than a strike after a similar ban at TransPennine Express (TPE) was described by the operator as a significant factor in its high rate of cancellations, before the service was taken under public control last month.
Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, said: “Once again, we find ourselves with no alternative but to take this action.
“We have continually come to the negotiating table in good faith, seeking to resolve this dispute.
“Sadly, it is clear from the actions of both the train operating companies and the government that they do not want an end to the dispute.
"Their goals appear to be to continue industrial strife and to do down our industry. We don’t want to inconvenience the public.
"We just want to see our members paid fairly during a cost of living crisis when inflation is running at above 10%, and to not see our terms and conditions taken away.
Aslef said its members will withdraw non-contractual overtime – known as rest day working
PA
“It’s time for the government and the companies to think again and look for a resolution.”
The action, short of a strike, follows another round of overwhelming votes in favour of continuing to take industrial action, which Aslef announced last week.
Train companies affected are: Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; Cross Country; East Midlands Railway; Greater Anglia; GWR; GTR Great Northern Thameslink; Island Line; LNER; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Express; South Western Railway main line; SWR depot drivers; TransPennine Express; and West Midlands Trains.