Train drivers at 15 UK rail companies, represented by the Aslef union, are preparing for another one-day strike in early January as part of an ongoing dispute over pay.
Scheduled for January 5th, the strike action coincides with strikes planned by the RMT union on January 3rd-4th and January 6th-7th.
Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, expressed reluctance towards striking but highlighted the lack of progress in negotiations, stating, “We don’t want to go on strike but the companies have pushed us into this place. They have not offered our members at these companies a penny – and these are people who have not had an increase since April 2019.”
The strike will impact various operators, including Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, and others.
Whelan characterized the decision to strike as a last resort, attributing it to the perceived inflexibility of the train operating companies in resolving the dispute.
Separately, RMT workers are also planning strikes later in the week as part of their own dispute with train companies and Network Rail over pay, conditions, and jobs.