Commuters face summer of travel chaos as more unions join strikes

Workers returning to London offices face a summer of travel chaos as rail unions plan a second month of strikes.

Two more rail unions have announced plans for industrial action in late June and July, with bosses threatening to create a “summer of discontent” for commuters.

Train drivers on Tramlink, Greater Anglia and Hull Trains will all walk out in the coming over separate pay disputes, according to the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF).

The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) has also announced it will ballot hundreds of staff at Avanti West Coast in a row over pay, job security and working conditions, with a potential walkout in late July.

ASLEF said strike action would take place Transport for London-operated Tramlink, which runs through central Croydon, on June 28 and 29 and July 13 and 14. Strikes were also announced for Greater Anglia on June 23 and at Hull Trains on June 26.

The Greater Anglia strike will coincide with industrial action by the Rail and Maritime Union, which has threatened to bring Britain to a standstill after talks collapsed.

More than 40,000 staff from Network Rail and 13 other operators are expected to join the RMT walkout, which would be the biggest rail strike in recent history, on June 21, 23 and 25. The spacing out of the strikes is expected to mean the railways are effectively frozen all week.

Ballot papers will be issued to 300 TSSA members next week, with a potential walkout as early as July 13 if they back strike action.

Manuel Cortes, the union’s general secretary, said: “Avanti West Coast staff are asking for some basic fair treatment: not to be sacked from their jobs; a fair pay rise in the face of a cost of living crisis; and no race to the bottom on terms and conditions.

“We could be seeing a Summer of discontent across our railways. Make no mistake, we are preparing for all options, including coordinated strike action.  And if our members go out on strike in Avanti, the trains will stop running.”

Meanwhile, ScotRail has agreed a deal with its train drivers which could end the pay dispute.

Aslef, the union representing the drivers, agreed a 5pc deal, after previously rejecting a 4.2pc pay offer and threatening strike action.

A spokesman for Avanti West Coast said it was “disappointed” by TSSA’s plans.

“Our whole focus now should be securing a thriving future for rail that adapts to new travel patterns and takes no more than its fair share from taxpayers, instead of staging premature industrial action which would disrupt passengers’ lives and put the industry's recovery at risk,” they said.