Home » Business News • UK Employment news » Aslef escalates rail strike with five additional days at LNER
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Train drivers' union Aslef has announced five more days of strikes at LNER as the dispute over minimum service levels escalates.
The walkout is in response to the government's controversial legislation.
Introduced in late 2023, the legislation is poised to be trialed for the first time during the ongoing rail strikes.
Initially, Aslef had planned a week of rolling 24-hour strikes around England starting in late January.
It targeted each operator for one day in the prolonged pay dispute.
The contentious legislation was designed to enforce approximately 40 percent of normal timetables on strike days.
It has led to significant concerns among unions, who argue it removes the right to strike and is unworkable.
LNER, run by the Department for Transport's operator of last resort, is believed to be considering the imposition of rules forcing drivers to work.
It prompted Aslef to intensify its planned action.
The rail industry has publicly maintained a united front, refraining from discussing minimum service levels.
However, the government has privately signalled to contracted firms that it expects them to use the new legislation to counter the strikes.
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Most rail firms, including LNER, are reluctant to impose minimum service levels, citing concerns that it would worsen the situation.
The Rail Delivery Group, representing train operators, has not commented.
LNER, Southeastern, Northern, and TransPennine Express (TPE) are among the operators directly in state ownership.
LNER is the only one attempting to run services on previous strike days.
Drivers were initially set to strike on February 2, but the additional five days of strikes will now extend from February 5 to 9.
It is accompanied by an extended overtime ban until February 10.
Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, said: “We have given LNER management – and their government counterparts who hold the purse strings – every opportunity to come to the table and they have so far made no realistic offer to our members.
“We have not heard from the transport secretary since December 2022, or from the train operating companies since April 2023.
“It’s time for them to come to the table and work with us to resolve this dispute so we can all move forward and get our railway back on track.”
LNER said: “Instead of staging more damaging industrial action, we urge the Aslef leadership to work with industry negotiators to resolve the dispute.”
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