The unusually wide-ranging industrial action by the Aslef union will see around 6,000 more drivers join the fray in the national rail dispute. The strike comes three days after another stoppage by the RMT union at Network Rail and train companies, with signalmen among the 40,000 members taking action that will also cause serious disruption. The Aslef strike will cover Chiltern, GWR, LNER, London Overground, Greater Anglia, Southeastern, Hull Trains and West Midlands rail services. Six of the companies voted overwhelmingly in favor of strikes this week. Mick Whelan, Aslef general secretary, said the union did not want to strike but the move was forced by train companies failing to deliver a pay rise after a three-year freeze. Whelan said: “We don’t want to go on strike – strikes are the result of a failure to negotiate… We don’t want to inconvenience passengers – and we don’t want to lose money by going on strike. Subscribe to the Business Today daily email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter @BusinessDesk “But we have been forced into this position by the train companies, led by the Tory government. Drivers at the companies we are striking at have had a real pay cut for the past three years – since April 2019. “And these companies are not offering us anything, saying their hands are tied by the government.” He said the union remains open to talks. The action, like the RMT, is likely to affect the opening days of the Commonwealth Games, with West Midlands trains serving many venues, including the aquatics centre. More details soon…
