Train drivers have called a further week of rolling strikes across England from late January in their long-running dispute with operators over pay.
Members of the Aslef union will strike for 24 hours at each train-operating company on the national railway on different days between Tuesday 30 January and Monday 5 February.
The Aslef general secretary, Mick Whelan, said:
We have given the government every opportunity to come to the table but it has now been a year since we had any contact from the Department for Transport [DfT]. It’s clear they do not want to resolve this dispute.
Many of our members have now not had a single penny increase to their pay in half a decade, during which inflation soared and with it the cost of living. Train drivers didn’t even ask for an increase during the Covid-19 pandemic when they worked throughout as key workers, risking their lives to allow NHS and other workers to travel.
A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, said:
Nobody wins when strikes impact lives and livelihoods, and they’re particularly difficult to justify at a time when taxpayers are continuing to contribute an extra £54m a week to keep services running post-Covid.
Despite the railway’s huge financial challenge, drivers have been made an offer which would take base salaries to nearly £65,000 for a four-day week without overtime – that is well above the national average and significantly more than many of our passengers that have no option to work from home are paid.
Oil prices are falling on world markets today, after Brent crude leapt through $80 a barrel last Friday following US and UK air strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been attacking ships in the Red Sea. Brent is 0.6% lower at $77.80 a barrel while US crude has lost 0.7% to $72.17 a barrel.
A fresh attack on a ship passing through the Red Sea is being investigated by United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
It posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it had received reports of an “incident” 95 nautical miles south-east of Aden, Yemen.
It said: “Master reports port side of vessel hit from above by a missile. Authorities are investigating.”
Our other main stories today:
Thank you for reading. My colleague Graeme Wearden will be back tomorrow, reporting from the World Economic Forum in Davos. Stay tuned! – JK
Asda cuts Aptamil prices by 7%
Asda has become the second supermarket to announce that it is reducing the cost of Aptamil baby formula after the French food giant Danone agreed to a 7% price cut to retailers.
Asda also said it will let customers pay for baby formula using their rewards scheme vouchers for the first time, as of today. A total of six Aptamil products across the core range will be reduced in price by an average of 7% (the price cuts can be viewed here).
Last week, Iceland said it would be cutting the cost of Aptamil from 16 January after Danone agreed to reduce the price for its Aptamil powdered formula to retailers by up to 7%.
Kris Comerford, Asda’s chief commercial officer, said:
For many of Asda’s customers, and families nationwide, we understand that buying baby formula is a vital necessity in their weekly shop, which is why we’re taking swift action to pass on falling manufacturing costs to customers before any other retailer. At the same time, we’ve decided to remove exclusions on using Asda Rewards vouchers to pay for baby formula. Whilst we respect the regulations in place regarding the sale of baby formula, we want to do everything we can to help families manage their budget and keep their family fed.
