Rail and Overground walkout dates in January and February
In a further blow to London travellers, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has today (30 January) announced two 48-hour strikes on the London Overground in February and March.
More than 300 London Overground staff will walk out for 48 hours on 19 February and again on 4 March in a dispute over pay.
The news comes as an overtime ban and strike action is set to cause disruption for rail passengers in London this week.
Train union Aslef has called 14 one-day strikes during its 18-month dispute over pay and conditions, with this latest episode of the dispute over pay to take place from Monday 29 January until Monday 5 February.
The union has said it wanted to continue its pressure on the “tone-deaf Tory Government” and help train drivers secure their first pay rise in almost five years.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “Many of our members have now not had a single penny increase to their pay in half a decade, during which inflation soared and with it the cost of living.”
Aslef says an unsatisfactory 4 per cent pay rise was offered, while the Government claims the pay offer is a fair deal.
A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, said: “Despite the railway’s huge financial challenge, drivers have been made an offer which would take base salaries to nearly £65,000 for a four-day week without overtime – that is well above the national average and significantly more than many of our passengers that have no option to work from home are paid.
Meanwhile, strikes set for LNER services from February 5 to February 9 have been cancelled, while RMT workers on non-TfL services have accepted a pay offer — meaning train strike action will be less disruptive with some train drivers working this week.
When are the train strikes in London?
Aslef train drivers will stop work in different regions over the course of a week between Tuesday 30 January and Monday 5 February which could see thousands of train journeys disrupted or cancelled each day, with some strikes affecting London’s commuters.
Elsewhere, more than 300 London Overground staff will strike over 48 hours in February and March.
Here’s a full breakdown:
- Monday 29 January: overtime ban
- Tuesday 30 January: strikes on South Western Railway, Southeastern, Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Thameslink
- Wednesday 31 January: strikes on Northern and TransPennine Express
- Friday 2 February: strikes on Greater Anglia, c2c and LNER
- Saturday 3 February: strikes on West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast and East Midlands Railway
- Monday 5 February: Great Western, CrossCountry and Chiltern
- Monday 19 February: London Overground services
- Monday 4 March: London Overground services
How will services be affected?
Aslef strikes affect around 16 train companies, some of which operate services in London. Here’s a list of operators that could be affected:
- Avanti West Coast
- CrossCountry
- East Midlands Railway
- Great Western Railway
- LNER
- TransPennine Express
- C2C
- Greater Anglia
- GTR (Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern, Thameslink)
- Southeastern
- South Western Railway
- Chiltern Railways
- Northern Trains
- West Midlands Railway
TfL has warned that on the days where strike action takes place, this is likely to result in little or no services across large areas of the network operated by the affected train companies.
Services are also likely to be disrupted and start later on the day immediately following a full strike day.
New legislation has been implemented which allows the transport secretary to stipulate minimum service levels on strike days amounting to 40 per cent of the normal service.
However, there has been no indication given that train operators are seeking to impose the new law on the train drivers’ union.
Critics of the legislation say it infringes upon a person’s right to protest and a union’s right to withdraw their labour.
Are there any Tube strikes planned?
Yes. More than 300 London Overground staff will strike next month over pay, the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers union (RMT) has announced.
Security, control, station and revenue staff are set to walk out for 48 hours on 19 February and again on 4 March.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said members were “furious” they had been given a “below inflation pay offer”.
Staff are due to walk out from from 00:01 GMT on 19 February until 23:59 on 20 February, and again from 00:01 on 4 March until 23:59 on 5 March.
Mr Lynch said: “London Overground workers do an important job delivering services for Transport for London and supporting passengers on journeys throughout London.
“If this dispute cannot be resolved then RMT is more than prepared for a sustained period of industrial action to get London Overground workers the pay rise they deserve.”
