The leader of the rail drivers’ union has branded Grant Shapps a liar over allegations the union was pushing for an “unofficial strike” over overtime.
The transport secretary tweeted that passengers using Avanti West Coast services should expect disruption on Sunday due to unofficial strikes. Aslef said he had not pushed for any union action on Sunday and said the service shortage is due to a shortage of drivers.
Shapps tweeted: “UNOFFICIAL STRIKES: Passengers using Avanti West services should expect disruption today. Archaic rules from 1919 make working on public holidays voluntary. Unions now arresting volunteer drivers, causing misery to the public and staff who will not be paid. We MUST modernize the railway.”
Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, responded to the tweet saying: “Grant Shapps is a liar. He’s not just wrong, he knows he’s wrong.
“His propensity for lying is just one of the reasons why he couldn’t get enough supporters on the ballot to become leader of the Tory party. That and the fact that he’s not very good at his job.
“The truth is that the company does not employ enough drivers to offer the services it promises to passengers that it will offer. The company and the minister should stop lying and start hiring.”
Avanti West Coast said it had previously always had volunteer overtime staff to cover the weekend shifts of around 250 trains, with an “extremely reliable group of drivers” willing to do so. “We have a long-standing agreement with drivers to work shifts as overtime,” a spokesman said.
“Literally overnight, the number this week has dropped to less than 10 trains covered by overtime. Drivers have pulled out en masse.”
The company’s spokesman said it was now facing “multiple short-term cancellations” on its network as of Monday, and cancellations are likely to continue until the current labor dispute is resolved.
“We regret the enormous frustration and inconvenience this will cause our customers and condemn the actions of the drivers. We urge them to engage in meaningful conversations about modernizing working practices and developing a railway fit for the 21st century,” they said.
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Aslef, the RMT union and the TSSA plan more strikes in August to worsen rows over pay, jobs and conditions.
Avanti’s Aslef members will strike on August 13 as part of the long-running dispute over pay and conditions, but the union said no action has been taken before then.
Whelan has previously accused Shapps of lying about this summer’s rail strike negotiations after Shapps claimed the RMT was “stalling on reform” and that Aslef was “dragging its feet in negotiations”.
Whelan said Saturday’s strikes had been solidly observed and showed the strength of support. “This shows the solidarity of our members and their determination not to be pushed around by Grant Shapps, the Department for Transport and the train companies.
“After keeping Britain moving during the pandemic, they expect our members, who have not had a pay rise since 2019, to continue working, effectively for a pay cut.”