Hull train drivers launch strike in row over sacking of colleague

Drivers at Hull Trains are launching an eight-week strike on Monday in an escalating dispute over the sacking of a colleague.

Members of Aslef will walk out until May 24, threatening disruption to services on the East Coast main line.

Aslef said a driver was unfairly dismissed after raising a safety issue at a meeting, a claim the company denies.

Mick Whelan, Aslef's general secretary, said: "The company's failure to act responsibly has an impact - and enormous implications - not just for rail workers and passengers at the company but for staff and passengers right across the wider rail industry.

"This is a moral issue because we have a culture on the railway designed to keep everyone safe.

"Anyone who works on the railway should be able to report a safety concern without fearing they will be penalised, punished or lose their livelihood. The company has behaved deplorably."

A spokesperson for Hull Trains said: "We're disappointed to receive notice of further strike action from Aslef.

"Safety will always remain our number one priority."

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