UK rail users face more strike chaos in escalating crisis

UK rail travelers face more misery this summer as train drivers said they’ll strike on July 30, three days after a separate walk out and only weeks after earlier labor action shut down much of the network.

The Aslef labor group said Thursday that members will stage the day-long stoppage after failing to reach a pay deal with employers. Two other unions, including the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers that led the worst strike in three decades last month, will stage a 24-hour walkout on July 27.

“Strike action is, now, the only option available but we are always open to talks if the train companies, or the government, want to talk to us and make a fair and sensible offer,” said Aslef’s general secretary Mick Whelan.

U.K. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps slammed the group for moving to strike just days after ballots closed. He accused the unions of “cynically orchestrating” dates to coincide with the Commonwealth Games, which take place in Birmingham at the end of the month.

The semi-finals and final of the women’s Euro 2022 football championships, in which England are among the favourites, are also scheduled for around that time.  

Ticket Scramble 

Aslef opted not to join in the RMT and white-collar Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association’s strike on July 27, which was announced Wednesday, possibly due to the need to give two weeks notice. But having two strikes so close together may trigger a scramble for tickets on the interim days, putting strain on the network and pushing up prices. 

The threat of further disruption comes after rail travel across the UK was largely halted by a three-day rail strike led by RMT in June. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s administration has been calling for caution on pay awards to prevent prices rising further, and the government and unions have clashed over their demands. 

Travel chaos is also hitting the country’s airlines and airports, with staffing issues leading to upheaval and London’s Heathrow imposing a two-month cap on daily passenger traffic in the peak summer season.