UK train drivers at 16 rail companies to strike in April, union says

LONDON (Reuters) -Train drivers in Britain will take strike action next month, including a six-day overtime ban, across 16 rail companies in a long-running dispute over pay, the ASLEF trade union said on Wednesday.

ASLEF said drivers at different rail companies will walk out on either April 5, 6 and 8.

“Our members voted overwhelmingly – yet again – for strike action,” the union’s General Secretary Mick Whelan said in a statement.

“Those votes show – yet again – a clear rejection by train drivers of the ridiculous offer put to us in April last year by the Rail Delivery Group,” Whelan said, referring to the rail industry body.

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said the industry will work to minimise disruption to passengers.

“We want to resolve this dispute, but the ASLEF leadership need to recognise that hard-pressed taxpayers are continuing to contribute an extra (54 million pounds) a week just to keep services running post COVID,” the spokesperson said.

The lines affected will be: Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, CrossCountry, Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern, TransPennine Trains, c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway and SWR Island Line.

(Reporting by Farouq Suleiman; editing by Sarah Young and Sachin Ravikumar)