Union leader accuses Shapps of lying about negotiations
The Aslef union has accused the transport secretary of “lying” about negotiations over this summer’s rail strikes.
Grant Shapps had written in the Times: “The ‘two Micks’, Lynch of the RMT and Whelan of Aslef, are taking the taxpayer for a ride, but not in the way they are meant to.
“RMT is stalling on reform and Aslef is dragging its feet in negotiations while both call more strikes. Enough.”
In response, Whelan told Times Radio this morning:
I say Mr Shapps is lying, quite simply, quite clearly.
We’re not dragging our feet in negotiations, we negotiate with 14 private companies, we do not work for the government or the DfT [Department for Transport].”
I would like Mr Shapps to get us out of this catch-22 situation that he misrepresents at every opportunity.
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More Labour MPs have showed support for Aslef members, as Ian Lavery and Ian Mearns join the picket line in Newcastle along with the North of Tyne mayor, Jamie Driscoll:
Sam Tarry joins Aslef picket line at Paddington station
Sam Tarry, the former shadow transport minister who was sacked from the frontbench this week, has joined another picket line at London’s Paddington station.
Tarry and the London Assembly transport lead, Elly Baker, joined Aslef members at the station as thousands of train drivers from seven companies walked out for 24 hours.
Tarry was sacked on Wednesday hours after joining strikers at an RMT picket line at Euston Station.
The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, who previously banned frontbenchers from joining picket lines, said he was sacked for conducting a media round without any prior warning.
Tarry wrote about his decision and sense of duty to join the picket line for the Guardian. You can read it here:
Mary Kelly Foy, the Labour MP for City of Durham, has expressed solidarity with Aslef union members as they strike.
Solidarity with @ASLEFunion members on strike across the country today.
I stand with you in your fight for more secure work and better conditions.
Under the Tories we face a race to the bottom – working people deserve better. https://t.co/QSqBSWbGzg
— Mary Kelly Foy MP (@marykfoy) July 30, 2022
LNER, which runs trains between London and Scotland, is warning customers of its “extremely limited services” today.
Union leader accuses Shapps of lying about negotiations
The Aslef union has accused the transport secretary of “lying” about negotiations over this summer’s rail strikes.
Grant Shapps had written in the Times: “The ‘two Micks’, Lynch of the RMT and Whelan of Aslef, are taking the taxpayer for a ride, but not in the way they are meant to.
“RMT is stalling on reform and Aslef is dragging its feet in negotiations while both call more strikes. Enough.”
In response, Whelan told Times Radio this morning:
I say Mr Shapps is lying, quite simply, quite clearly.
We’re not dragging our feet in negotiations, we negotiate with 14 private companies, we do not work for the government or the DfT [Department for Transport].”
I would like Mr Shapps to get us out of this catch-22 situation that he misrepresents at every opportunity.
Great Western Railway says disruption to its services will continue into tomorrow and asks passengers to travel only if strictly necessary.
In response to Aslef, the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train firms, says it would be unfair to give drivers a raise as it would require asking passengers for more money
Steve Montgomery, the chair of the organisation, said:
We’re really disappointed that the Aslef leadership has decided to impose yet more uncertainty and disruption for passengers and businesses in a week which has already seen a strike by the RMT.
Millions of passengers will have their weekend plans disrupted, particularly those who are working, or going to the Commonwealth Games or the first football match of the season.
While we will do all that we can to minimise disruption, if you are going to travel on the routes affected, please plan ahead and check the latest travel advice.
If you’re not able to travel, you can use your ticket either the day before or up to and including August 2, otherwise you will be able to change your ticket or claim a refund.
Like any service or business, we must move with the times and cannot continue to ask taxpayers or passengers for more money when we should instead respond to the huge changes in travel behaviour post Covid.
We’ve got a bit more from Mick Whelan on why Aslef members have decided to strike.
He says:
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 Tory government.
Many of our members, who were the men and women who moved key workers and goods around the country during the pandemic, have not had a pay rise since 2019.
With inflation running at north of 10% that means those drivers have had a real terms pay cut over the last three years.
We want an increase in line with the cost of living, we want to be able to buy, in 2022, what we could buy in 2021.
It’s not unreasonable to ask your employer to make sure you’re not worse off for three years in a row.
Especially as the train companies are doing very nicely, thank you, out of Britain’s railways, with handsome profits, dividends for shareholders, and big salaries for managers, and train drivers don’t want to work longer for less.
Wage rises aren’t fuelling inflation. Excess profiteering is, but the government isn’t asking companies to cut profits or dividend payments to help manage inflation.
Wages are chasing prices, not putting them up.
We don’t see why we should forego an increase in salary to keep pace with inflation and help the privatised train companies make even bigger profits to send abroad.
Why are train drivers striking?
The striking drivers are all part of the Aslef union.
Aslef’s general secretary, Mick Whelan, said the strikes were “the last resort” but that many of his members had not had a pay rise for three years, despite working through the pandemic, and the high level of inflation meant they had taken a pay cut in real terms.
We regret the disruption caused. We understand that’s what happens when we take industrial action, but it’s in the hands of the companies to put this right.
Which services are affected?
Gwyn Topham
As we just mentioned, West Midlands Trains is one of seven companies affected today.
But those companies operate more than seven services.
The other services experiencing issues are intercity services on LNER, which runs from London to Scotland via Leeds. That service will be vastly reduced. Great Western services will be severely curtailed. All Heathrow Express trains are cancelled and no GWR services will run west of Bristol into Wales.
A minimal Greater Anglia service, and just one Hull Trains service in each direction, will operate. No trains will run on Southeastern, and the majority of the London Overground services will also be stopped.
Other train operators such as Southern and Thameslink have warned that services could be crowded and disrupted as passengers switch to alternative services.
Biggest strike by train drivers in decades begins
Good morning.
Across Britain, millions of people face rail disruption today as thousands of train drivers from seven operators strike in a dispute over pay.
The industrial action by members of the Aslef union represents the biggest strike by drivers in decades and will halt some train operators’ services.
Among the services affected is West Midlands Trains, which runs to sporting venues around Birmingham, the host city of the Commonwealth Games.
Rail bosses accused the union of targeting its action on the opening weekend of both the Games and the new English football league season.
We’ll bring you the latest developments on this story throughout the day.
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