Train union extends overtime ban, causing three weeks of summer travel disruption

Within hours of the latest overtime ban by train drivers taking effect, the Aslef union has announced another week of industrial action from 31 July to 5 August – with their leader deploring the lack of contact from employers and ministers.

The new refusal to work overtime will extend disruption across the railways of England and the London Underground to a total of 22 days over the peak summer spell.

It affects more than a dozen train operators, including all the big commuter and intercity firms in England. Transport for Wales and ScotRail are unaffected.

The Aslef statement says: “The ban – which is the latest move in our long-running national pay dispute – will seriously disrupt services as none of the train companies employs enough drivers to deliver the services they have promised passengers, and the government, they will run.”

The current overtime ban runs all week, from Monday 17 July to Saturday 22 July. Hundreds of trains are being cancelled each day.

On Thursday and Saturday, disruption will increase sharply for rail passengers as the RMT union resumes its strikes.

Thousands of trains will be cancelled as operators including Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway and LNER reduce to a skeleton service.

The effects will continue to Sunday 23 July, when a strike by RMT members working for the London Underground will begin. It ends on Friday 28 July, the day before the next RMT national rail strike, which will affect services both on Saturday 29 July and the following day, Sunday 30 July.

The Aslef overtime ban then picks up on Monday 31 August with cancellations expected for the rest of that week, up to and including Saturday 5 August.

Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, was scathing about the train operators and ministers. He said: “The blame lies with the train companies, and the government which stands behind them, which refuse to sit down and talk to us and have not made a fair and sensible pay offer to train drivers who have not had one for four years.

“The proposal they made on Wednesday 26 April – of 4 per cent with a further rise dependent, in a naked land grab, on drivers giving up terms and conditions for which we have fought, and negotiated, for years – was not designed to be accepted.

‘We have not heard a word from the employers since then – not a meeting, not a phone call, not a text message, nor an email – for the last 12 weeks.

“We haven’t sat down with the government since Friday 6 January. That shows how little the companies and the government care about passengers and staff. They appear content to let this drift on and on.”

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, representing train operators, said: “The upcoming rail strikes called by the RMT union and the overtime ban by Aslef will undoubtedly cause some disruption, affecting not only the daily commute of our passengers but also disrupting the plans of families during the summer holidays.

“This will lead to disappointment, frustration, and financial strain for tens of thousands of people. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and understand the impact on individuals and businesses.”

The Independent has asked the Department for Transport (DfT) for a response.