ASLEF, the train drivers' trade union, has announced strikes and an overtime ban on Northern services for, what they call, 'persistent failure' to comply with existing agreements.

Members at Northern will also take strike action on Friday, March 1 for a failure by the company to adhere to existing agreements on a variety of subjects including bullying, intimidation, and gaslighting of union reps according to the union. 

 ASLEF members will take action short of a strike, which includes a ban on non-contractual overtime) on Northern from Thursday, February 29 to Saturday 2 March.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, the train drivers' trade union, said: "We are fed up to the back teeth with the bad faith shown, day after day, week after week, and month after month by these two companies.

"We always stick to agreements which we make. These companies think they can break agreements – which they freely enter into – whenever it suits them. And they're wrong. This is a shot across their bows and a sign of things to come.

"They need to stop what they are doing, start to behave properly and honourably, because their drivers – our members – are no longer prepared to be treated like this."

Mick added: 'These disputes are entirely separate from our national pay dispute with 16 train operating companies – although LNER and Northern are two of those companies – because we haven’t had a pay rise since 2019."

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ASLEF have been in dispute with train operating companies for more than a year over a lack of an acceptable pay rise which the union says its workers haven't since before the pandemic. 

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: “We’re surprised and disappointed that strike action has been called over a local disagreement that we have all been working positively to resolve.

“We encourage ASLEF to work with us to find a solution and avoid further disruption for customers.”