Train drivers are to stage three fresh strikes in the long-running dispute over pay, including one on the day of the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, their union Aslef announced today.
The union today confirmed the action for Saturday June 3, saying Avanti West Coast, which runs trains to London Euston from Manchester Piccadilly, was one of 16 train operating companies due to be affected.
The Wembley showpiece, the first Manchester derby FA Cup final, kicks off at 3pm.
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The announcement on Thursday comes after Avanti told the Manchester Evening News, they had already been in touch with both football clubs and plan to be able to update all customers, including fans travelling to the final, in 'due course.'
Many thousands of City and United fans are set to make the trip by rail down south to London for the day.
Aslef said today its members has rejected a 'risible' four per cent pay offer.
The union said in a published statement: "ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, has rejected a ‘risible’ pay offer from the 16 train companies with whom we are in dispute – our drivers not having had an increase in salary at these companies since 2019.
"Our executive committee met this morning [Thursday] and rejected a risible proposal we received from the RDG, a pressure group which represents some of the train companies, and lobbies on their behalf, late on Wednesday afternoon,’ said Mick Whelan, ASLEF’s general secretary, today.
"The proposal – of just 4% – was clearly not designed to be accepted as inflation is still running north of 10% and our members at these companies have not had an increase for four years.
"The RDG, in turn, rejected our proposals to modernise Britain’s railways and help them run more efficiently, for passengers and for businesses, in the 21st century.
"Consequently, we have today announced three more days of strike action – on Friday 12 May, Wednesday 31 May, and Saturday 3 June – at the companies with which we are in dispute, and which are letting down passengers, and taxpayers, so badly.
"We are also withdrawing non-contractual overtime from Monday 15 to Saturday 20 May inclusive, as well as on Saturday 13 May and Thursday 1 June."
The 16 train operating companies include: Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; CrossCountry; East Midlands Railway; Great Western Railway; Greater Anglia; GTR Great Northern Thameslink; London North Eastern Railway; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Express; South Western Railway; SWR depot drivers; SWR Island Line; TransPennine Express; and West Midands Trains.
General secretary Mick Whelan said: "We have been discussing specific issues for a national resolution and arrangements – and principles – for additional, and separate, bespoke TOC by TOC talks.
"It took eight one-day strikes to bring the TOCs – and the Tory government that stands behind them – to their senses and persuade them to sit down and talk properly. ASLEF members withdrew their labour on Saturday 30 July; Saturday 13 August; Saturday 1 October; Wednesday 5 October; Saturday 26 November; Thursday 5 January; Wednesday 1 February; and Friday 3 February.
"We do not want to go on strike – we do not want to inconvenience passengers, we have families and friends who use the railway, too, and we believe in investing in rail for the future of this country – but the blame for this action lies, fairly and squarely, at the feet of the employers who have forced our hand over this by their intransigence.
"It is now up to them to come up with a more sensible, and realistic, offer and we ask the government not to hinder this process."
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