UK railway workers to strike again next month, train company says
LONDON (Reuters) -UK railway workers will stage further strikes early next month, the head of a British train operating company said on Friday, after this month's walkouts in a long-running pay dispute were postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth.
The country has faced strikes by workers across a number of sectors, but most unions put action on hold after news of the monarch's death a week ago.
Soaring inflation and stagnant wages have left workers disgruntled at a time when the price of everything from fuel to food has risen due in part to the war in Ukraine.
Britain's rail network suffered major disruption on several days in June and July when 40,000 rail workers walked out in the country's biggest railway strike in three decades.
"This morning we have been notified by the ASLEF trade union of further days of strike action on Saturday 1 October and Wednesday 5 October. We have suspended ticket bookings for these dates," said David Horne, Managing Director of London North Eastern Railway.
PA Media reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources, that train drivers at 12 rail companies were due to strike on Oct. 1 and 5. The governing Conservative Party is due to hold its annual conference in Birmingham in central England Oct. 2-5.
LNER runs trains from London along the country's east coast to Scotland.
ASLEF last week postponed a strike planned for Sept. 15, while fellow rail union the RMT also suspended strikes which had been due to take place on Sept. 15 and 17.
(Reporting by William James and Muvija M, Writing by Kylie MacLellan, and Louise Heavens)
