The exact date no trains will run in Kent as staff strike again
Kent will see no trains running at all on one date next month as an additional day of strikes has now been announced. The ASLEF union has confirmed that it will host industrial action on Friday, September 1.
This follows the recent announcement that RMT union workers would be holding strikes on Saturday, August 26 and Saturday, September 2.[1] As ASLEF is the nation’s trade union for train drivers, no Southeastern[2], Southern or Thameslink services will be able to run on this date.
As such, Kent will be left with no train services at all on September 1 should the ASLEF strike go ahead. There will also be a ban on overtime, though the impact this will have on Kent services is not yet clear.
The strike will mean that no Southeastern, Southern or Thameslink services will be able to run (Image: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)
Mick Whelan, ASLEF’s general secretary, said: “We don’t want to take this action but the train companies, and the government which stands behind them, have forced us into this place because they 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 per cent.
“The government appears happy to let passengers – and businesses – suffer in the mistaken belief that they can bully us into submission. They don’t care about passengers – or Britain’s railway – but they will not break us.”
RMT confirmed strikes as disputes over pay, working conditions and job security persist, with the union stating: “The union has been left with little choice but to take further action as the union has seen no improved or revised offer from the Rail Delivery Group.” It is not yet known exactly how big of an impact the RMT strikes will have on Kent’s rail network.
However, during past instances of RMT strikes, only a limited number of services have been able to operate along the Sevenoaks[4], Dartford[5] and High Speed via Ashford[6] lines, with over 100 Kent stations seeing no trains at all. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "The mood among our members remains solid and determined in our national dispute over pay, job security and working conditions.
"We have had to call further strike action as we have received no improved or revised offer from the Rail Delivery Group. The reason for this is the government has not allowed them a fresh mandate on which discussions could be held. Our members and our union will continue fighting until we can reach a negotiated and just settlement."
Full refunds can be claimed for unused tickets if customers decide not to travel because the intended train will be cancelled, delayed or rescheduled after the ticket was purchased. Further refund details can be found here[7].
Southeastern has also announced that no trains will run to London Bridge on Saturday, August 26 due to planned engineering works. Trains on routes from Dartford[8] to London will instead run to Victoria.
Keep up to date with latest updates on the rail strikes with our FREE traffic and travel email for KentLive readers. Find out more here.[9]
References
- ^ RMT union workers would be holding strikes on Saturday, August 26 and Saturday, September 2. (www.kentlive.news)
- ^ Southeastern (www.kentlive.news)
- ^ Person rescued from car wreckage after two-vehicle crash (www.kentlive.news)
- ^ Sevenoaks (www.kentlive.news)
- ^ Dartford (www.kentlive.news)
- ^ Ashford (www.kentlive.news)
- ^ here (www.southeasternrailway.co.uk)
- ^ Dartford (www.kentlive.news)
- ^ Find out more here. (data.reachplc.com)