Train chaos as bosses snub minimum service levels during rail strike
FRESH strike action has been announced by rail workers as train services were thrown into chaos yesterday, with no services running on some of England’s busiest routes.
Trains across the South were cancelled or reduced as the Aslef union staged another walkout in their long-running dispute over pay and conditions.
It comes as the first test of the Government’s anti-strike legislation flopped – with none of the train companies using the new law.
The Tories imposed “minimum service levels” last year, which gives operators the power to force 40% of their workers to remain on duty to reduce the disruption.
But the train firms involved in this week’s dispute have chosen not to use the law, amid fears it could make strikes worse by damaging relations with staff.
Misery
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “It’s something the rail operators called for many months ago and the public would expect them to be used if strike action is taking place.”
Asked if No 10 was disappointed with the companies, he said: “Yes, it’s something that we and the public expect them to use.
“It’s ultimately up to train operators to manage their services, we have been as clear as possible that they should be as ready to use all powers available to them to reduce the impact of rail strikes on passengers.”
Drivers on Southeastern, Southern/ Gatwick Express, Great Northern,
Thameslink and South Western Railway services stayed away, forcing many people to drive to work, which led to huge traffic jams.
Aslef’s boss Mick Whelan says some train drivers have not had a pay rise for almost five years.
And he said he and other unions had made clear to the Government that bringing forward the new minimum service measures would
only “lead to more strikes”. And in added misery for commuters, the RMT union announced a strike by London Overground workers.
More than 300 security, station, revenue and control staff will walk out for 48 hours on February 19 and again on March 4. Arriva Rail London, which has the contract for London Overground, has offered a below inflation pay offer to staff, the union said. Rail services are already being hit by a nine-day overtime ban by Aslef members, which began on Monday. Strikes will follow at Northern Trains and TPE today, at LNER, Greater Anglia and C2C on Friday, at West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast and East Midlands Railway on Saturday and at Great Western, Cross Country and Chiltern on Monday.