Train drivers from 16 rail companies will go on fresh strike next month in their long-running pay dispute, the Aslef union has announced.
Drivers will be on foot from Tuesday May 7 to Thursday May 9, there will also be a ban on overtime for six days from May 6.
The union said it has not met with employers or the government for more than a year, and accused ministers of abandoning efforts to resolve the nearly two-year-old dispute.
On May 7, drivers will walk out on C2C, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern, Gatwick Express and South Western Railways.
Next day will be on 8th May strikes Avanti on West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway and West Midlands trains.
After this, members of LNER, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express will go on strike on 9 May.
Asleff says drivers have not had a pay increase for the past five years, as their last pay deal expired in 2019.
The union said it asked train operating companies to negotiate after its members voted overwhelmingly to continue industrial action in February.
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General secretary Mick Whelan described the years-old offer of a 4% pay rise followed by a second 4% rise as “invisible” and “dead in the water”.
Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef. drink the picture
He said: “After three years without a pay rise, we voted for industrial action for the first time in June 2022. It took eight one-day strikes to convince train operating companies (TOCs) to come to the table and talk.
“Our negotiation team met with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on eight occasions – the last time being on Wednesday 26 April last year.
“This was followed by a ‘land grab’ by Tox on Thursday 27th April for all our terms and conditions – which was immediately rejected.
“Since then, train drivers have voted repeatedly to take action to get a pay increase.
“That’s why Transport Secretary Mark Harper is being disingenuous when he says this proposal should have been put to members. Drivers would not vote to strike if they thought a proposal was acceptable.”
The Department of Transport has not yet commented on the new round of industrial action.
