
L
ondon commuters are facing fresh travel misery on Friday as another strike by train drivers leaves large swathes of the country with no services.
Members of Aslef and the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will walk out in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.
It marks the second time that rail workers have walked out this week, with strikes on Wednesday bringing services grinding to a halt.
Action by Aslef, which is seeking a pay deal that recognises the cost of living crisis, will affect 14 train companies . No services are expected to run on Southeastern, Thameslink and Southern – all key London commuter routes.
Around 1,900 members of Unite working as bus drivers for Abellio in London will complete a three-day strike on Friday in a separate dispute over pay.
Live updates
What train companies are affected by today’s strike?
Britain’s train services are being hit by strike action again.
Train driver members of Aslef and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) unions are walking out in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. For a full run down of what train companies are affected, click here.
Hounslow parking officers to strike
Parking enforcement officers across Hounslow will strike for a month over a pay disupte with the council and their employer Serco.
Unite union members across the London borough announced on Friday they will take industrial action from February 6 to March 5.
The workers are directly employed by Serco which manages the contract for the London borough. Hounslow Council and Serco need to reach an agreement with Unite, the union said.
Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “The truth is that the London Living Wage is not enough to live on. Serco is hugely wealthy. The Council and its outsourcer have the ability to pay workers more.
“The strike will inevitably mean that parking restrictions across the borough will fall apart.”
‘Significant disruption’ to and from Gatwick Airport
‘People call us greedy’
Andy Botham, a train driver for more than 30 years, said it was “disappointing” the Government would not negotiate.
The Aslef representative for train drivers in the East Midlands and London for East Midlands Railway said: “People call us greedy train drivers compared to a nurse’s salary, but I’ve got a salary and my life is set upon my salary.
“With inflation running at what it is at the moment, if I don’t get a pay rise, I’ll probably be down about 20% over the last few years and that is a big cut to my disposable income.”
Picket line outside Euston station in London
/ PATraffic up 11% during Wednesday rail strike
There was an 11.2 per cent increase in traffic during Wednesday’s rail strike, GPS company Waze has revealed.
UK country manager Ru Robert said completing journeys by car appeared to be the most trusted alternative, with traffic levels increasing 6.2 per cent in London.
MP Kate Osborne joins picket line
Pictured: Picket line at Euston Station
Aslef General Secretary Mick Whelan (right) joins train workers on the picket line at Euston station
/ PAPicket line at Euston station
/ PARDG feels ‘closer to a deal’ with RMT compared to Aslef
Rail Delivery Group (RDG) chair Steve Montgomery is “hopeful” that the latest offer to the RMT union will stop its strikes.
Asked if the RDG was closer to a deal with the RMT compared to Aslef, Mr Montgomery told Sky News: “Certainly we feel closer to a deal.
“RMT are presently consulting their members at this moment in time. What we are seeking from RMT is to put that offer out to a referendum to the members and let them decide whether this offer is acceptable as a best and final (one).
“I’m hopeful that the offer we’ve made will stop the strikes.”
But he said the dispute with Aslef was “going backwards” and talks “had not moved on as quickly as we’d like”.
Mr Montgomery said the disruption would last “all day”, with some services starting “slightly later” on Saturday morning.
Strikes might enter second year, Aslef chief says
Mick Whelan, general secretary of the Aslef union, said train drivers might enter a second or even third year of striking.
He told LBC radio on Friday that train drivers have not had a pay rise in four years.
Asked how much longer union members can financially sustain striking, Mr Whelan said: “If we don’t get a pay rise for four years will it be five, will it be six, will it be seven?
Hesaid that Aslef has made no progress in resolving its dispute with the Government in six months of striking.
Asked how likely it was that a deal could be struck during talks next week on February 7, he said: “We want a resolution. My people don’t want to be losing money, they don’t want to be standing out in the cold.”
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan
/ PA