Avanti West Coast strike action planned as disruption set for West …
Strike action has been announced by Avanti West Coast workers which could affect train[1] services in the West Midlands. The rail operator runs services across the country including Birmingham, the Black Country and the wider West Midlands area.
Members of the union Aslef, who work at Avanti West Coast, will strike on Sunday, July 2, over a dispute around sick pay changes. Aslef is accusing the company of trying to "force through without agreement".
The strike action will take place as a number of events take place in the region including The Chicks at Utilita Arena, Birmingham, and The Undertaker at The Halls, Wolverhampton. Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: "It is deeply regrettable that Aslef members have been forced to take this action but our members will not stand by and allow our agreed terms and conditions to be violated by the train operating companies.
"We have been coming to the table to try to resolve these disputes for many months but unless the operators honour the agreements in place with our members, we will be forced to continue taking action. The companies know how to avoid this action – it’s by honouring their agreements and negotiating fairly with our members."
In response, Andy Mellors, Avanti’s managing director, said: "We’re extremely disappointed that Aslef has again chosen to disrupt the travel plans of so many. Thousands of customers, who have already bought tickets, will now be forced to make alternative arrangements at a time when we should be working together to encourage more people to travel by train. We’d urge the union to call off the action and work with us to avoid another summer of disruption."
Aslef announced earlier this week that its members at 15 train firms have voted overwhelmingly to continue taking industrial action for the rest of the year in the national pay dispute, which is a separate issue. Meanwhile, drivers employed by London North Eastern Railway (LNER) will refuse to work overtime from July 1 until further notice.
LNER is accused of failing to adhere to “agreed procedures”. Warrick Dent, safety and operations director at LNER, said: "We are disappointed by Aslef’s decision. We believe that matters are best resolved between LNER and Aslef through local discussions, which have been taking place and are continuing, rather than further industrial action which only damages the rail industry.
"We are fully committed to working collaboratively with Aslef’s representatives at LNER. We remain focused on running reliable services for our customers."
References
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