Train drivers across the UK will strike again in September, the third walkout in as many months, as unions fight for steeper pay hikes amid surging inflation.
(Bloomberg) —
Train drivers across the UK will strike again in September, the third walkout in as many months, as unions fight for steeper pay hikes amid surging inflation.
Drivers at 12 train operating companies will walk out on Sept. 15, the Aslef union said in a statement Wednesday. The action comes after the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, which represents workers from nine train companies and Network Rail, said they would strike for 24 hours on Sept. 26.
Spiraling prices have triggered walkouts across the country, including on trains, buses and at ports crucial to supply chains. The UK is suffering from double-digit inflation, and unions argue that their members should not have to stomach real-terms pay cuts. They are also resisting reforms to the network after Covid-19 changed passenger habits.
“Withdrawing our labor, although a fundamental human right, is always a last resort for a trade union,” said Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary. “But the train companies have forced our hand.”
However, a spokesperson for the Department of Transport said union bosses were “choosing self-defeating strike action over constructive talks.”
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