April rail strikes: When is the drivers’ walk-out and how will it impact passengers?

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Train drivers are planning to continue their national rail strikes for the 22nd month, and they will stage a number of rolling walk-outs in the upcoming month.

Aslef union members have intentions of interrupting the operation of thousands of trains between the dates of April 5th, 6th, and 8th. Their goal is to cause disturbance to the 14 rail firms in England that are controlled by the UK government and represented by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).

Furthermore, if overtime is banned for five days, more cancellations will occur.

Mick Whelan, who heads Aslef, the union representing train drivers, was in charge during a recent period of industrial action.

The train drivers went on strike for nine consecutive days, starting from January 29th to February 6th. The strike included a ban on overtime and staggered regional walk-outs.

The objective of these intermittent work stoppages and prohibition on working during days off is to create the most possible interference while minimizing any financial consequences.

As of July 2022, Aslef has initiated industrial action due to a disagreement over payment and work arrangements. The union is requesting a raise without conditions, while rail companies, under the guidance of government officials, are insisting on significant adjustments to working procedures to minimize public funding before granting any salary increase.

Throughout the conflict, countless voyages were canceled, causing a substantial loss of billions of pounds to the UK economy, primarily affecting the hospitality sector. Additionally, taxpayers are providing an additional subsidy of £90 per second to keep the degraded and untrustworthy railway functioning.

The dispute has been getting more and more sour, without any indication of moving forward towards a resolution.

There will be more instances of people leaving their work as protests apart from the previous two occasions where Aslef members refused to work. These workers operate trains for the London Underground.

The upcoming industrial action has a goal to almost completely halt the city on Monday 8 April by cancelling most of the Tube and commuter trains.

The passenger finds themselves stuck in the middle of an argument that seems impossible to resolve. The Independent conducted a quick survey on social media, with 2,142 people participating. The survey revealed that 33% of passengers said they would travel less in the future once the industrial action is over.

Here are the primary inquiries and their corresponding responses.

Which Railway Companies Are Involved?

Aslef is currently in a disagreement with the 14 train companies that have been hired by the UK government to offer train transportation. These companies are responsible for providing rail services.

has announced its new timetable will come into effect from 12 December 2021, providing faster and more frequent services. GWR recently unveiled its plan to add several new services to its schedule, including express services between London and Bristol, and more frequent and direct connections between Bristol and South Wales. The new timetable also includes changes to the frequency of services on several routes, such as the Bristol to Birmingham line, which will now see a significant increase in services. According to GWR, the changes are designed to provide passengers with even better value for money, as well as improved connectivity between major cities and towns across the South West and beyond. So, if you're planning a trip in the coming months, be sure to check out the new GWR timetable – you might be surprised at some of the improvements on offer!

"Commuter Services In Southeast England"

is a group of train companies that operate in the UK. These train companies offer services to various destinations across the country. The GTR group of train companies provides a comfortable and efficient mode of transportation for commuters and travelers alike. With their modern and spacious train coaches, passengers can sit back and relax while enjoying a smooth and comfortable ride to their desired destination. Whether you are looking to travel for work or pleasure, the GTR group of train companies has got you covered. So why not sit back and enjoy a stress-free journey on one of their trains today?

The rail network known as South Western Railway, which consists of the Island Line on the Isle of Wight, is the subject of this blog.

Midlands & Northern England: Focus Of Operators

West Midlands Railway, which also includes London Northwestern Railway, is a train operating company in the UK.

Which Train Companies Are Not Participating?

ScotRail, Transport for Wales, Transport for London (including the Elizabeth line), Merseyrail and companies that operate without formal contracts, such as Grand Central, Hull Trains and Lumo, are all affected by strikes. On days when strikes occur, many of their services are likely to be full, particularly where they overlap with the routes of companies affected by industrial action, for example Lumo's service from Edinburgh through to Newcastle and onwards to London.

Train Driver Strike Date?

The Aslef union workers who operate vehicles will participate in a work stoppage according to a specific plan:

Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains and CrossCountry are planning to create significant disturbance on major intercity routes and local commuter services in the Midlands.

The railway operators affected by this strike are Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Trains. The aim of this strike is to cause inconvenience to rail passengers travelling in the northern and western regions of England. The planned day of the strike will also disrupt the day's schedule of football matches. Supporters of Newcastle who are planning to travel to London for their game against Fulham will also be impacted by the strike.

The current walkout by members of Aslef is set to cause a major disruption for transportation services in London, particularly for the Tube. C2C, Greater Anglia, Great Northern, Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern, Gatwick Express, and South Western Railway operations will also likely be affected.

Operator Effects: What Are The Predictions?

These service patterns are probable as observed from past experiences.

It is highly probable that all train services operated by Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, and CrossCountry will be cancelled.

It is expected that all services of Chiltern, Northern, and TransPennine Trains will be canceled.

GWR and LNER will operate a limited service on their main routes from approximately 7 in the morning until 7 in the evening.

GWR has announced that it will operate trains every hour from London to Bristol Temple Meads. In addition, there will be a connection from Bristol to Cardiff, as well as some branch train routes.

LNER is going to operate along its top Edinburgh-Newcastle-York-London track, ensuring at minimum one service every hour. Moreover, there will be some supplementary locomotives functioning on the southern fraction of the arrangement.

It is highly probable that C2C, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Thameslink and Southeastern will terminate all their transportation facilities.

Greater Anglia is set to provide services that will travel to and fro from London Liverpool Street en route to several destinations like Stansted airport, Southend, Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich.

The transportation company Southern will provide a shuttle facility that will operate from London Victoria to Gatwick airport.

The South Western Railway will operate on the route from London's Waterloo station to Woking and Guildford, along with some additional local services.

"Did The Overtime Ban Work?"

During the upcoming dates of Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 April and Monday 8 to Tuesday 9 April, members have decided not to work on their scheduled rest days. Considering the fact that numerous rail firms rely on drivers working extra hours, it is expected that an extensive number of train services – possibly even thousands – will have to be cancelled.

What's On The Line?

The train operators are requesting an increase in salary that is consistent with the amplified inflation rates since their last compensation was granted. As per Aslef, there are a few members who have not gotten a salary hike for almost five years.

The government requires necessary alterations to longstanding working arrangements in order to decrease costs and the significant taxpayer subsidies the railway is currently receiving, before they can consider a moderate pay raise.

Travel habits have shifted due to the pandemic, resulting in a decrease of around 20% in ticket earnings compared to pre-Covid times. As the pay raise for train operators will eventually be financed by taxpayers, the Department for Transport and the Treasury will need to approve any agreements made concerning this matter.

The government officials think that the agreements of train conductors are contributing to the issue. In order to decrease expenses, they need to agree to alterations in their job such as counting Sundays as part of their workweek across the board.

The Rail Delivery Group put forward a proposal on 27 April 2023 to raise pay by 4 percent in each of the next two years, for pay awards in 2022 and 2023. However, the pay increase is subject to various modifications on terms and conditions. These modifications include changes in driver training, working on Sundays, sick pay, and adoption of new technology.

The union has claimed that this situation is entirely intolerable. The train drivers are willing to discuss modifications, but only if they receive a fair and unconditional increase in their current compensation.

They are confident that the funds required to fulfill their requests will be procured, just as it has been done before. Even Aslef has consistently negotiated workplace changes in exchange for a small increase in salary, and they have no intention of altering this course of action.

At present, travelers are still lacking confidence due to corrosion in their trust and faith. They are unable to make plans for their journeys beyond a fortnight, as this is the shortest period within which the union is obligated to give notice of a labor strike.

Union's Standpoint?

Mick Whelan, Aslef's general secretary, stated that their members have voted with a strong majority to strike. This shows their refusal for the offer made by the Rail Delivery Group in April 2020, which they knew would not be accepted due to the unrealistic demands for all previously agreed upon terms and conditions.

Train drivers have consistently voted to take strike action in order to secure higher wages. The Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, is being dishonest by suggesting that the previous offer of pay should have been accepted by the drivers. If the offer was satisfactory, the drivers would not have repeatedly voted for strikes. The offer was deemed inadequate by the drivers and was rejected in April of last year, which Mr. Harper undoubtedly knows.

We requested a meeting with either Mr. Harper or his representative, Huw Merriman - the rail minister. Additionally, we reached out to the RDG and the TOCs, inviting them to engage in dialogue. Our suggestion was to sit down and discuss possible solutions, as we share a mutual goal of avoiding further industrial action and disruption to the rail system. However, we feel as though we have been left with no other option due to the lack of cooperation and action from the Tories and TOCs.

We have offered the government multiple chances to negotiate, but it has become apparent that they are not interested in resolving this conflict and are content to let it continue indefinitely. However, we remain steadfast in our determination not to give up.

Numerous individuals within the organization have gone five years without any salary raises.

Employers & Gov't: What Do They Say?

At the beginning of this year, Huw Merriman, the rail minister, expressed to The Independent that he felt Aslef was being offered a sensible and equitable deal that they should present to their members. The train drivers are being compensated with an average of £60,000 for working only four days a week and 35 hours. If they agree to the offer, they would be earning an additional £5,000, increasing their salary to £65,000.

A representative for Rail Delivery Group who speaks for the train operators said: "When work stoppages obstruct people's lives and job prospects, no one wins, and we'll strive to keep any inconvenience to our passengers to a minimum."

We aim to settle this conflict; however, it is crucial for the Aslef leaders to acknowledge that citizens are still providing an additional £54 million per week to maintain the services during the pandemic.

Our goal is to reach a mutual agreement with the leaders of Aslef and we are willing to initiate discussions to resolve this conflict.

Labour Party Stance: What's The Word?

Louise Haigh, who is responsible for transport in the opposition party, expressed her shock at the fact that the secretary overseeing transportation has not yet engaged in discussions with worker unions to address issues that have arisen since Christmas the year before last.

The Labour Party intends to adopt a distinct approach from the Tories and collaborate with all parties concerned to strike a deal that favors both passengers and workers. Had the transport secretary implemented this practical strategy earlier, the frequent railway strikes could have been avoided.

Disruption's Cost: How Much?

The RDG recently shared that the rail sector suffered a significant loss of approximately £775 million due to industrial disputes lasting from June 2022 until mid-January 2024. This amount does not even account for the recent strikes and overtime bans, which likely increased the losses by an additional £100 million.

UKHospitality has calculated that the financial damages suffered by the food, beverage, and lodging sector is almost £5 billion due to the strike. The CEO of UKHospitality, Kate Nicholls, stated that the continuous strike puts a strain on businesses and makes it difficult for people to travel to work, which negatively affects the trust in the railway system.

Furthermore, there is an incalculable decrease in income resulting from commuters who have altered their daily routines or chosen different methods of transportation; companies that have ceased physical travel and opted for virtual meetings instead; and individuals reducing their travel arrangements due to the absence of predictability.

"New Law On Minimum Service Levels: What's The Deal?"

The new law allows the transportation minister to set a minimum level of service to be provided on days when there is a strike, which should be equivalent to 40% of the regular service. The aim of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023, according to the government, is to guarantee that the general public continue to have access to essential services even when there is a strike occurring.

Train companies are not trying to enforce the new legislation on the train drivers' union. LNER had expressed interest in doing so earlier this year and began discussions about it. However, upon hearing of LNER's intentions, Aslef organized a separate five-day strike exclusively targeting LNER. After this, the train company decided not to mandate drivers to work, which led to the cancellation of the strike.

In the past, the Transport Select Committee cautioned about the possible unintended effects of the law. The leader of the Conservatives, Iain Stewart, stated there might be a chance that MSLs could make working relationships tougher and ultimately lead to less dependable services.

When a union enforces an overtime ban, the laws regarding minimum service levels do not matter if they relate to non-contractual rest-day work. Therefore, it would not be useful to implement these laws during an overtime ban.

Tube Strike: What's The Issue?

Tube operators who are part of Aslef labor union and work for the London Underground are planning to strike on April 8th and May 4th, causing disruption across almost all of the Tube network.

According to Finn Brennan, the person in charge of Aslef's activities on the Tube, the employer is responsible for attempting to implement modifications to working conditions. He explained that they want drivers to work for more extended periods and spend up to a quarter more time in the cab while also eliminating all current agreements relating to working hours, all under the guise of increasing flexibility and efficiency.

A representative from Transport for London stated: "We have been engaged in ongoing conversations with our union counterparts regarding updating methods and protocols for the London Underground in order to enhance the overall satisfaction of both employees and customers."

We currently do not intend to put these modifications into effect. Moreover, we assure you that nobody will be dismissed as a consequence of these alterations, and we have talked with our unions to prove that we will not make any changes that endanger the safety of people travelling on the Tube network.

We request that Aslef carries on conversing with us to prevent any disturbance or inconvenience for the people of London.