Fresh industrial action to hit train services across Suffolk during summer holidays
Members of Aslef will refuse to work any overtime from July 31
Last updated 17th Jul 2023
A fresh overtime ban has been announced by train drivers, threatening disruption to services in Suffolk at the height of the summer holidays.
Members of Aslef at 15 train operating companies, including Greater Anglia, will refuse to work overtime from Monday July 31 to Saturday August 5 in the long-running dispute over pay.
Drivers launched a week-long overtime ban on Monday which the union warned will "seriously" affect services.
Aslef said train companies did not employ enough drivers, which was why they are dependent on rest day working, which the union pointed out was voluntary.
It will be the fourth week-long ban on overtime since May.
Mick Whelan, Aslef's general secretary, said: "We don't want to take this action. We don't want people to be inconvenienced, but the blame lies with the train companies, and the Government which stands behind them, which refuse to sit down and talk to us, and have not made a fair and sensible pay offer to train drivers who have not had one for four years - since 2019 - while prices have soared in that time by more than 12%.
"The proposal they made on April 26 of 4% with a further rise dependent, in a naked land grab, on drivers giving up terms and conditions for which we have fought, and negotiated, for years was not designed to be accepted.
"We have not heard a word from the employers since then - not a meeting, not a phone call, not a text message, nor an email - for the last 12 weeks, and we haven't sat down with the Government since January 6.
"That shows how little the companies and the Government care about passengers and staff. They appear content to let this drift on and on.
"In contrast, we want a fair resolution. That's why we are taking this action, to try to bring things to a head.
"Then I can concentrate on my day job working with others in the industry to rebuild Britain's railways for passengers, for business, and for this country."