Hull Trains has apologised to passengers for the continued disruption to their services due to ongoing industrial action. Drivers have been on strike since March over the sacking of a driver that union, ASLEF sees as unfair – Hull Trains, however, refute these claims.
The train operator has had to cancel some services at short notice due to the strike action. Mick Whelan, General Secretary of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) union, which represents train drivers, has said the action will continue for “as long as it takes.”
ASLEF union members first went on strike this spring after the driver was dismissed. The union says its driver member was dismissed after allegedly telling a manager he ‘nearly fell asleep’ at the controls. They say the driver had a clean safety record but had raised concerns about driver fatigue in response to discussions about long hours.
However, LDRS understands the dispute with the firm involves the driver’s own failure to report previous incidences of fatigue in line with company safety protocols, and that this had happened on more than one occasion. As a result, the company said they believe the individual posed an unacceptable safety risk.
After the LDRS contacted the operator, which runs services between Hull / Beverley and London King’s Cross, to raise the concerns of some residents regarding last minute cancellations, a Hull Trains spokesperson said: “We’re sorry for the short-notice disruption to Hull Trains services due to industrial action by the ASLEF union. We have made a number of proposals for a resolution to this matter with ASLEF and remain committed to open dialogue in order to resolve this situation.
“All our people including our customer service team are working hard to help support any affected customers and will always give as much notice as possible if there are changes to our services. Customers are able to use alternative Hull Trains services or claim a refund via our customer service team at customerservices.hull@hulltrains.co.uk or railhelp.co.uk.”
The strike action led to concerns earlier in the year ahead of Hull KR’s trip to Wembley for the Challenge Cup final. Thousand of fans travelled down to the capital, Hull Trains adjusted its rotas to ensure there was enough staff to run as many services as possible.
ASLEF has now announced that members have given a fresh mandate for further strike action against Hull Trains. The union has announced new strikes between August 10 and September 6.
By: Andrew Spence, LDRS
