Yahoo News When are train drivers striking in December and why are they walking out?
A series of rolling one-day train strikes in December is set to bring travel chaos in the run-up to Christmas.
The Aslef union said the new walkouts will “ratchet up the pressure” on train companies and the government in their long-running dispute over pay.
There have been as series of walkouts already in 2023 but the decision to stage the strikes over a series of days could cripple the network as people make more journeys during the festive season.
Aslef said it had previously called all its members out on strike on the same day but, by spreading the action, the ramifications for the rail industry will be “greater”.
Strikes have also been held since June 2022 by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, who are now voting on a deal aimed at resolving their dispute.
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What are the dates of the December train strike?
Several train companies are affected on various days across the first week of December.
The dates are:
Saturday 2 December: East Midlands Railway, London North Eastern Railway
Sunday 3 December: Avanti West Coast, Chiltern, Great Northern Thameslink, West Midlands Trains
Tuesday 5 December: C2C, Greater Anglia
Wednesday 6 December: Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line and depot
Thursday 7 December: CrossCountry, Great Western Railway
Friday 8 December: Northern, TPT
Services are expected to be cancelled on all strike days.
All Aslef members will also refuse to work any overtime from Friday 1 December to Saturday 9 December.
Why are train drivers striking?
The government and train companies are embroiled in a long-running dispute with Aslef, who was train drivers to receive their first pay rise in more than four years.
The union says that the cost of living crisis has meant that drivers are facing more financial difficulties on top of their wages not going up since 2019.
Aslef said it has already successfully struck pay deals with 14 companies in the last 12 months in Scotland and Wales where transport issues are devolved – and blame the lack of resolution on the “Tory government”.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “We are determined to win this dispute and get a significant pay rise for train drivers who have not had an increase since 2019, while the cost of living, in that time, has soared.
“The Transport Secretary, who has gone missing in action during this dispute, says we should put the offer to our members…
“This is a dispute in England made at Westminster by the Tory government.”
