Rail strikes caused fresh misery for millions across the country on Saturday, including major disruption in Birmingham as it hosted one of the busiest days of the Commonwealth Games.
The latest round of strikes in a summer of chaos for passengers sparked bitter exchanges between union leaders and ministers.
As thousands of train drivers from seven operators, including West Midlands and Southeastern Trains, walked out to pay, large sections of the rail network in England and Wales were left without services.
It also meant there were no trains in England’s second largest city apart from a “special shuttle” between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International to help people get to Commonwealth Games events.
With frustration evident on both sides, Aslef accused transport secretary Grant Shapps of lying about this summer’s rail strike negotiations. Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said: “We are not dragging our feet in the negotiations; we negotiate with 14 private companies. We do not work for the government or the DfT [Department for Transport].”
Whelan was responding to comments from Shapps, who had accused “militant union leaders” of bringing the country to a standstill.
Writing in the Times, Shapps had said: “RMT [union] is stalled on reform and Aslef is dragging its feet on negotiations while both are calling for more strikes.”
The Department for Transport later issued a statement saying it was “misleading” to suggest Shapps should be involved in negotiations over wages and working practices.
Amid the growing acrimony, West Midlands Conservative mayor Andy Street waded into the row, describing the strikes as a “cynical manipulation of the Games”. He said: “It is an international celebration and I feel it is a great shame that they are being targeted in this way.”
The packed schedule for Saturday’s Games included gymnastics, T20 cricket, swimming, boxing, hockey and netball.
These facts, however, were not the only ones affected. Trips to the first games of the season for most clubs in the English Football League and a Lady Gaga concert in London also occurred, the latest chapter in a series of losses.
Passengers faced disruption due to a rail strike on Wednesday after around 40,000 RMT members at Network Rail and 14 other train companies walked out over pay, job cuts and changes to terms and conditions.
On Saturday, Aslef said it was surprising because rising inflation meant the value of workers’ wages was falling, while rail bosses were pocketing huge salaries. Explaining the strikes, Whelan said they were “a last resort” and that many Aslef members had not received a pay rise for three years and wanted the “ability to negotiate”. “The people we work for have been making hundreds of millions of pounds and giving money to their shareholders,” Whelan said.
The latest strike, carried out by around 5,000 members, also affected Arriva Rail London – which operates the London Overground – Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, Hull Trains and Heathrow Express.
No trains were running in the South East, while operators including Great Western, which runs services between England and Wales, had greatly reduced services.
Snow Hill station in central Birmingham was completely cordoned off, with picketers meters from the Commonwealth Marathon route, which closed many roads in the city.
Games organizers encouraged ticket holders traveling locally to walk or bike if possible and said additional park and ride services were being rolled out.
An additional 600 buses were used to help visitors reach the 16 venues where the events were taking place.
Saturday’s statement from the DfT was issued to clarify Shapps’ role during the strikes.
He said: “Its role is to protect the public purse, ensuring value for money for working people in this country.
“As such, it must set the limits of taxpayer support and ultimately sign any agreement, not participate in negotiating one, and its carrier contracts allow it to do just that.”