Train drivers at nine rail companies are to stage a one-day strike next month in the worsening dispute which is causing travel chaos across the country. Aslef announced its members will walk out on Saturday, August 13, saying the firms failed to make a pay offer to help members keep pace with increases in the cost of living.
Drivers are already set to strike this Saturday at seven companies and on Wednesday Aslef members at two more train operators voted overwhelmingly for industrial action. The announcement was made as strikes by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union and Transport Salaried Staffs Association crippled services on Wednesday, with only around one in five trains running and some areas having none at all.
Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said: “Strikes are always the last resort. We don’t want to inconvenience passengers – our friends and families use public transport too – and we don’t want to lose money by going on strike but we’ve been forced into this position by the companies, who say they have been driven to this by the Government.
