Aslef drivers to hold more train strikes in early May

Train operators will carry out another strike in the beginning of May by taking part in continuous 24-hour protests. The said walkouts will paralyze various services across Great Britain.

Aslef, a union, has announced a series of strikes that will take place from May 7th to May 9th at all railway companies contracted to the Department for Transport. These strikes will occur during a six-day overtime prohibition period and will likely cause significant disruptions to some train networks.

The protest happening now is connected to a disagreement over payment that has been ongoing for a while. Many train drivers haven't had their salaries raised in five years, which is causing frustration and leading to this industrial action.

On days when there are strikes, many train operators will not run any trains. These strikes are affecting the English operators under the DfT, but they will also have an impact on cross-border services to Scotland and Wales on the specified days.

In February, a vast majority of Aslef members decided to carry on with their industrial action.

Mick Whelan, the head of the union, stated that it has been one year since they met with the train companies. He added that during this meeting, the train companies proposed an insulting offer that was deliberately intended to be rejected, a statement which they later admitted privately.

Motorists were presented with a contract extending over a period of two years that yields a 4% increase per annum, however, the terms of working conditions were modified. The percentage of increment provided to them was lower compared to other sectors in the industry.

According to Whelan, the government's statement that the proposal should have been presented to members was insincere due to the frequent strike ballots.

On Tuesday 7 May, there will be a strike by drivers at c2c, Greater Anglia, Great Northern, Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, and South Western Railway.

A strike is set to take place for a day on May 8th at Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, and West Midlands Trains. There will also be a strike at LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Express on May 9th.

Aslef has organized the fourth week of strikes, called the "wave of action", which began in December. The union changed its approach to the ongoing disagreement, which started nearly two years ago.

A representative from the Rail Delivery Group, which speaks for train companies, expressed their disappointment regarding the completely avoidable strike organized by Aslef's leaders. Unfortunately, this will once again cause inconvenience for both customers and businesses, while simultaneously inflicting more harm on an already struggling railway. This couldn't have come at a worse time as taxpayers are having to contribute an additional £54m each week to keep the services running.