Rail strike due to start this Saturday called off

LNER passengers will be spared 22 days of disruption after train drivers called off plans to strike.

Saturday was supposed to be the start of several weekends of walk outs by Aslef members as part of dispute over allegedly broken agreements on work practices.

But they’ll be reporting for duty as normal after union and train bosses came face to face.

LNER runs passenger trains between London, Edinburgh and the north of Scotland.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said: ‘Once again we have demonstrated that by sitting round the table and negotiating, issues on the railway can be resolved in a way that means better workplace practices for rail workers and a better service for the travelling public.

‘Aslef will continue to campaign for a fully staffed railway that doesn’t rely on excessive use of driver overtime.

‘We continue to operate in good faith and we are pleased to have finally resolved this long-standing issue with LNER of abuse of our agreements.

‘We look forward to normal working resuming.’

An LNER spokesperson said: ‘We will be looking to strengthen the timetable published for this weekend and advise customers to check for the latest information in advance of their journey.’

This planned industrial action was separate from a long-running dispute over pay, which involved drivers nationwide until a new offer was made.

Drivers were offered 5% backdated pay for 2022/23, a 4.75% rise for this year, and a 4.5% for the next, none of it conditional on changes to working practices.

The government’s offer, which would bring the average driver’s annual pay to £65,000, faces a vote by Aslef members after it was made earlier this month.

The dispute that’s been called off today, described as a breakdown in industrial relations, was blamed by ‘bullying’ by management, and ‘persistent breaking’ of agreements by LNER.

Before the strike was called off, Mick Whelan said: ‘The continued failure of the company to resolve long-standing industrial relations issues has forced us into this position.

‘We would much rather not be here but the company has brutally, and repeatedly, broken diagramming and roster agreements, failed to adhere to the agreed bargaining machinery, and totally acted in bad faith.

‘When we make an agreement, we stick to it. This company doesn’t and we are not prepared to put up with their boorish behaviour and bullying tactics.’

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