LNER Train Driver Strikes Suspended After Union Talks

A series of planned weekend strikes by LNER train drivers, scheduled to begin on Saturday, have been called off following successful negotiations between the drivers' union, Aslef, and the train operating company. Passengers travelling between London and Edinburgh had faced the prospect of months of disruption, with 22 days of industrial action planned from the beginning of September until early November.

Aslef announced on Thursday that drivers had reached a resolution with LNER regarding alleged breaches of agreements. The union posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Strike action scheduled for weekends between 31 August and 10 November is therefore suspended. We look forward to normal working resuming.”

The strikes were called off following meetings between union representatives and LNER management. It is important to note that this dispute is separate from the ongoing pay dispute affecting drivers across the UK. That dispute appears to have been resolved with a new long-term pay offer.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, commented: “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 longstanding issue with LNER of abuse of our agreements.”

This news comes amidst ongoing industrial action in other sectors. Hundreds of passport control staff at Heathrow Airport are set to strike over a four-day period from Saturday in a dispute over working conditions.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has announced that 650 of its Border Force members working in passport control at Heathrow terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 will strike between 31 August and 3 September. They will then work to rule, with no overtime, until 22 September.

The long-running dispute revolves around enforced changes to working conditions, including the introduction of flexible work rosters. PCS members undertook seven days of strike action in April, May, and June.