More rail strikes on the way as Northern and LNER train drivers to walk out in March

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Transport Reporter

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Members of the Aslef union on a picket line near to Leeds train station, as Aslef union members walk out in the long-running dispute over pay and conditions. Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA Wire
Members of the Aslef union on a picket line near to Leeds train station, as Aslef union members walk out in the long-running dispute over pay and conditions. Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Northern and LNER train drivers will strike in March in yet more disruption for Brits after a series of rail strikes in February.

The Aslef union announced the fresh disruption shortly after its members voted to continue industrial action for the next six months.

LNER and Northern drivers will leave their posts on Friday 1 March. A ban on non-contractual overtime working will take place between Thursday 29 February and Saturday 2 March.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, the train drivers’ trade union, said: “We are fed up to the back teeth with the bad faith shown, day after day, week after week, and month after month by these two companies.”

“We always stick to agreements which we make. These companies think they can break agreements – which they freely enter into – whenever it suits them. And they’re wrong. This is a shot across their bows and a sign of things to come.”

“They need to stop what they are doing, start to behave properly and honourably, because their drivers – our members – are no longer prepared to be treated like this.”

It comes alongside industrial action in the national dispute from the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) and other ASLEF members, who had planned walk-outs at 17 train companies between February and March.

Whelan added: “These disputes are entirely separate from our national pay dispute with 16 train operating companies – although LNER and Northern are two of those TOCs – because we haven’t had a pay rise since 2019.”

Planned rail strikes at LNER in early February were called off after the operator agreed not to put minimum service levels in place.

The union is furious at the operators for how they are treating staff. Aslef said the dispute at Northern centred around management “failing to adhere to procedures and agreements on a variety of subjects including bullying, intimidation and gaslighting of union reps.”

It said LNER members had complained about being constantly badgered for favours and non-compliance with rostering arrangements. “The company has been trying to run services without the correct establishment, the right number of drivers, and has relied heavily on rest day working and favours to provide the service it has promised passengers.”