Greater Anglia train drivers announce third day of strike action on Saturday 23 July

Another day of strike action has been announced by Greater Anglia's train drivers on Saturday 23 July.

Members of the ASLEF union are walking for 24 hours in a row over pay.

Talks are continuing to try to resolve the strike, but Greater Anglia is warning passengers of widespread disruption should it go ahead.

This will be the third strike day by ASLEF’s Greater Anglia train drivers.

During the last strike, on Saturday 2 July, the company could not run over 90 per cent of its services.

Greater Anglia Managing Director Jamie Burles said: “We hope this dispute can be resolved and the strike action proposed for 23 July cancelled, but in the meantime we want to give our customers as much notice as possible that there will be disruption if the strike does go ahead.

“We are making arrangements and drawing up timetables in case the action does take place, and we will keep our customers updated.

“If there is a strike, our advice to customers will be to avoid travelling on our trains. With drivers on strike, we can only run minimal services and just on limited routes and between limited hours too for most of those routes.

“We are aware that many customers will have plans to travel – it’s the first weekend of the school holidays and the weekend of the Latitude Festival. We’re genuinely sorry if this strike disrupts people’s plans.”

Speaking previously about the strike action, Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, said: "Many of our members have not had a pay rise since 2019.

"We will fight to maintain the pay, terms & conditions, and the pensions of our members. We are not naïve.

"The train companies are doing very well out of Britain’s railways – with handsome profits, dividends for shareholders, and big salaries for managers – and we are not going to work longer, for less.

"We want a pay rise, for train drivers, who kept people and goods moving during the pandemic, in line with the cost of living, so that we are not, in real terms, worse off."

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