A second UK-wide rail strike is about to happen on 30 July as prepare drivers throughout eight firms stroll out for twenty-four hours.
The motion will come simply three days after a nationwide rail strike by RMT union members working at Community Rail and eight different prepare operators on 27 July.
The strike on 30 July will contain Aslef members at Arriva Rail London, Chiltern Railways, Higher Anglia, Nice Western, Hull Trains, LNER, Southeastern and West Midlands Trains as a part of an ongoing dispute over pay.
Mick Whelan, Aslef basic secretary, stated: “We don’t wish to go on strike – strikes are the results of a failure of negotiation – and this union, since I used to be elected GS in 2011, has solely ever been on strike, till this 12 months, for a handful of days.
“We don’t wish to inconvenience passengers – not least as a result of our associates and households use public transport, too, and we consider in constructing belief within the railways in Britain – and we don’t wish to lose cash by happening strike.
“However we’ve been compelled into this place by the prepare firms, pushed by the Tory authorities. The drivers on the firms the place we’re hanging have had an actual phrases pay reduce over the past three years – since April 2019.
“And these firms are providing us nothing, saying their fingers have been tied by the federal government.”
The union is claiming that its members are being informed to take a “actual phrases” pay reduce on account of inflation “operating forward at 9 per cent, 10 per cent, and even 11 per cent this 12 months”
“Strike motion is, now, the one choice accessible however we’re all the time open to talks if the prepare firms, or the federal government, wish to speak to us and make a good and wise provide,” added Mr Whelan.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps stated: “It’s extremely disappointing that, simply three days after their ballots closed, Aslef bosses have already opted for damaging strike motion, as an alternative of partaking in constructive talks.
“Not solely that however, by seemingly coordinating strike dates across the Commonwealth Video games, it’s clear union bosses are decided to trigger as a lot distress as doable and derail an occasion the entire nation is wanting ahead to.
“Prepare drivers, akin to these Aslef symbolize, earn, on common, slightly below £60,000 – greater than twice the UK common and considerably greater than the very staff who will likely be most impacted by these strikes regardless of stumping up £600 per family to maintain the railway operating all through the pandemic.
“Our railway is in determined want of modernisation to make it work higher for passengers and be financially sustainable for the long run.
“I urge union bosses to rethink this divisive motion and as an alternative work price their employers, not in opposition to them, to agree a brand new means ahead.”
Kaynak: briturkish.com
