Friday, 19 Apr 2024

Rail strike set to cause chaos for football fans due to Aslef union 24-hour walkout

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Premier League games in Manchester, London, Birmingham and Brighton are likely to be affected. Other companies not involved in the strike will be running trains but these are expected to be busy.

Steve Montgomery, chairman of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “We’re really disappointed that the Aslef leadership has, for the second time in as many weeks, decided to impose yet more uncertainty for passengers and businesses by disrupting passengers’ weekend plans.”

“I will reiterate what I’ve previously said – I am ready and willing to talk to the leadership of Aslef today, tomorrow or indeed any time next week.”

“They should call off next week’s action and talk to us instead. What our passengers and our staff expect is for us to talk and work out a way through this.”

Timetables will be published on Tuesday but passengers are being advised to follow the latest travel advice, check before they set off, and allow extra time for their journey.

The strikes will affect Arriva Rail London, Avanti West Coast, Crosscountry, Greater Anglia (including Stansted Express), Great Western, Hull Trains, LNER, London Overground, Southeastern and West Midlands Trains.

Mr Montgomery said: “While we will do all that we can to minimise disruption and to get passengers where they need to be, if you are going to travel on the routes affected, please plan ahead and check the latest travel advice.

“Like any service or business, things do not just stand still and we must move with the times. We want to give our people a pay rise as we know everyone is feeling the pinch due to the cost-of-living rises.”

“We have to find the money somewhere as we cannot continue to ask taxpayers or passengers for more, so we must modernise and adapt to changes in passenger behaviour.”

The public has been advised to consider starting journeys later on Sunday August 14.

Passengers with advance, off-peak or anytime tickets affected by the strike can use their ticket either on the day before the date on the ticket, or up to and including Tuesday August 16, or can change their tickets to travel on an alternate date, or get a refund if their train is cancelled or rescheduled.

Further strike action by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and Unite has been announced for August 18 and 20, as well as a separate RMT walkout on London Underground on August 19.

Workers at the port of Felixstowe have announced plans to strike for eight days later this month in a dispute over pay.

Members of Unite will walk out on August 21 after talks at the conciliation service Acas failed to resolve the row.

Unite said more than 1,900 workers at Felixstowe, the country’s biggest container port, will be taking industrial action.

The strike was called after Unite said the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company failed to improve on its offer of a seven per cent pay increase, describing it as “significantly below” inflation.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Both Felixstowe docks and its parent company CK Hutchison Holding Ltd are both massively profitable and incredibly wealthy. They are fully able to pay the workforce a fair day’s pay.”

“The company has prioritised delivering multi-million-pound dividends rather than paying its workers a decent wage.”

“Unite is entirely focused on enhancing its members’ jobs, pay and conditions and it will be giving the workers at Felixstowe its complete support until this dispute is resolved and a decent pay increase is secured.”

The workers undertake manual roles at the docks including crane drivers, machine operators and stevedores.

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