Everything you need to know for April and May

A significant spherical of commercial motion will disrupt Nationwide Rail providers and the London Underground over the subsequent month, as prepare drivers strike in a dispute over pay and circumstances.

Members of the Aslef union are launching two rolling one-day Tube strikes and walk-outs at 16 main rail operators throughout April and Could.

Passengers have been suggested to test the Nationwide Rail web site for up-to-date data earlier than they journey. Tube service updates may be discovered on the Transport for London (TfL) web site.

It comes over a yr and a half into the nationwide dispute, which started in June 2022 when the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union staged a primary set of prepare strikes.

When are the Tube strike dates?

Two 24 hour strikes by Aslef tube drivers are deliberate on Monday 8 April and Saturday 4 Could.

A lot of the community will probably be delivered to a standstill and TfL has warned different unaffected providers, such because the Elizabeth Line, London Overground and DLR, will probably be “busier than standard” and could possibly be topic to final minute cancellations.

Providers will begin afterward the times following the strikes, however must be again on observe by mid-morning. London buses will function usually however some routes will probably be “extraordinarily busy.”

It comes after Khan drummed up £30m of public money to cease separate RMT tube employees launching a weeks price of motion in January.

Aslef is worried its drivers could possibly be pressured to work longer hours and that prior agreements with TfL and Sadiq Khan could possibly be ripped up.

Finn Brennan, Aslef’s organiser for the London Underground, stated TfL had did not “give assurances that modifications to our members’ phrases and circumstances won’t be imposed with out settlement and that every one current agreements will probably be honoured.”

“Regardless of a earlier dedication to withdraw plans for enormous modifications to drivers’ working circumstances, London Underground administration has established a full-time crew of managers making ready to impose their plans.

“They need drivers to work longer shifts, spending as much as 25 per cent extra time within the cab, and to take away all present working agreements within the title of ‘flexibility and effectivity.’”

TfL stated it had “no plans to impose these modifications” and had “dedicated to nobody dropping their job as a part of these modifications.”

“We now have engaged with our unions to display that no change will probably be made that compromises our steadfast dedication to security on the Tube community.”

The operator added: “We now have been in long-term discussions with our commerce union colleagues on easy methods to modernise procedures and processes on London Underground to enhance the expertise each for employees and prospects.

Tube employees represented by the RMT secured a pay rise of eight to 10 per cent for the bottom paid employees in February. Larger paid employees netted a 5 per cent improve in the identical deal.

A second union representing customer support managers, the TSSA, can be hanging on Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 April.

When are the nationwide strike dates?

Practice drivers at 16 rail firms will launch strikes on Friday 5, Saturday 6 and Monday 8 April, Aslef has stated.

The union can be planning a six-day time beyond regulation ban between Thursday 4 and Saturday 6 April, and Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 April.

Rail operator’s affected by the nationwide strike motion are as follows:

Friday 5 April: Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, and CrossCountry.

Saturday 6 April: Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Trains.

Monday 8 April: Better Anglia, c2c, GTR Nice Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Specific, South Western Railway primary line and SWR Island Line.

Why are strikes taking place?

Broadly, unions are in search of higher pay and dealing circumstances for his or her members amid inflation and different every day value pressures.

They’re additionally infuriated by new minimal service laws, which enforces prepare firms have sufficient employees to run 40 per cent of providers throughout walk-outs.

In April 2023, Aslef’s govt committee rejected a 4 per cent pay rise for 2 consecutive years.

Since then, union bosses have accused the federal government of failing to return to the negotiating desk. Talks between Aslef’s basic secretary Mick Whelan and transport ministers have been non-existent since December 2022.

The dispute is made extra advanced by the dire monetary state of Britain’s prepare operators, represented by the Rail Supply Group (RDG), who’ve struggled to recuperate financially because the pandemic worn out passenger numbers.

The community has been affected by delays and cancellations, such that Transpennine Specific had its contract stripped in Could 2023.

A spokesperson for the RDG stated: “We’re sorry that this spherical of strikes known as by the ASLEF management danger disrupting journeys. 

“Whereas we’re doing all we will to maintain trains operating and we’ll work with our trade companions to maintain as many trains operating as potential, sadly there will probably be lowered providers between Thursday 4 April to Tuesday 9 April. Our recommendation is to test earlier than you journey and observe the newest journey data.”   

Not like the nationwide dispute, this months Tube strikes are rather more centred round working circumstances, with Aslef involved over working hours and modifications to prior agreements. There was some reporting across the stage of fatigue amongst London Underground drivers.

Rail employees pay

Median annual pay for prepare and tram drivers is about £60,000, based on the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics (ONS).

ONS figures present common salaries throughout the rail sector had been £45,919 in 2022.

Tube drivers earn a base wage of round £58,000. Nevertheless, underneath a uncommon kind of pension scheme, they’ll earn a major quantity extra.

A 21-year-old prepare operator working till the age of 65 would construct a pension of round £42,500 per yr, with none pay rises, based on AJ Bell evaluation.

This text will probably be up to date as new particulars emerge.