SIR Keir Starmer is “extremely” disappointed that rail passengers face being hit by a new wave of rail strikes – despite train drivers winning a huge pay hike.
The Prime Minister has come under fire after a 14 per cent deal over three years was struck with union Aslef who have now embarked on industrial action against LNER.
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Drivers working for LNER will walk out on weekends from the end of the month over working conditions – separate from the pay dispute.
Sir Keir’s official spokesman called for fresh talks to “resolve this dispute as quickly as possible”.
Number 10 added: “It is extremely disappointing for passengers. This dispute relates to specific local arrangements on working patterns not pay.”
The unrest over the proposed pay deal will now lead to more strikes and calls for more pay hikes, critics say.
The next train strikes by LNER drivers, as announced by the Aslef union, are scheduled to occur every weekend from the end of August through mid-November 2024.
They are planned every Saturday from 31 August to 9 November 2024 and every Sunday from 1 September to 10 November 2024.
These strikes are part of a separate dispute related to industrial relations at LNER and are expected to cause significant disruption on the East Coast Mainline, which runs between London and Edinburgh.
The strikes do not relate to the ongoing national pay dispute but are focused on issues specific to LNER.
A statement by Aslef said: “Our priority focus will be on minimising disruption to customers during the forthcoming Aslef strikes, which sadly will continue to cause disruption and delays.”
As of August 2024, there are no London Underground strikes planned
The last Tube strike was on April 26, 2024 as part of the TSSA customer service walkout.