UK train drivers to strike on tube and rail network

The UK’s rail network and London Underground lines will be brought to a standstill again after train and tube drivers announced strikes in April and May as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions.

The Aslef union said Wednesday its drivers would walk out across 16 major rail companies on April 5, 6 and 8. Tube workers in the capital will also walk out on April 8, as well as on Saturday May 4.

Monday April 8 will see major commuter lines such as c2c, Thameslink and Southeastern affected alongside the London Underground network, hitting footfall in London. 

“We have given the government every opportunity to come to the table but it is now clear they do not want to resolve this dispute,” said Mick Whelan, general secretary at Aslef. “They are happy for it go on and on. Because we are not going to give up.” 

Whelan added that Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, hadn’t talked with the union since December 2022.

Managers on the London Underground network are trying to impose longer shifts, according to Aslef representative Finn Brennan. “It’s about getting people to work harder and longer for less,” he said.