Avanti West Coast has been slammed for "lying" by the train drivers' union after the train operator warned about future strike disruptions.
Avanti West Coast said unofficial strike action by drivers means it is facing "multiple short-notice cancellations" until further notice. The train drivers' union ASLEF has strongly denied members were taking action this week.
Responding to Avanti West Coast's public statement from this morning, Sunday, July 31, ASLEF general secretary Mick Whelan accused the train operator of "lying". Mr Whelan said: "Please remove your lies. There is no unofficial strike action taking place. We reserve the right to deal with this legally."
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Avanti West Coast, who run a line between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston, said: "Due to unofficial strike action by train drivers, we are expecting multiple short-notice cancellations until further notice. Please check your journey on our website before coming to the station and be prepared for very busy services. Sorry for the inconvenience this will cause."
ASLEF members at Avanti West Coast will strike on August 13 following an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions. But the union said it does not have anything planned before then.
Union members said it does not count as an unofficial strike as drivers are refusing to work their rest days and not work overtime. Responding to Avanti West Coast, one person wrote: "Would you please clarify what unofficial strike action means please?
"Is it drivers refusing to work their rest days and overtime or is it drivers striking? Huge difference and if it's the former, you're being completely disingenuous calling it any form of strike."
Another person added: "Since when is actually having your day off classed as a strike," while a driver added: "We are not on strike. Not working rest days and Sundays are not part of the working week [and] are not strike action. Stop with the lies."
More strikes are planned in August by ASLEF, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) in the continued disputes over pay and working conditions.
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