Avanti West Coast train drivers to vote on strike action over rosters

Train drivers at Avanti West Coast are to be balloted for industrial action in a row over rosters.

Aslef accused the company of imposing new working patterns without agreement.

General secretary Mick Whelan said: "I can hear the sound of chickens coming home to roost.

"Avanti West Coast has never employed enough drivers to deliver the services it has promised passengers, businesses, and the Government it will run, which is why, every day this year, the company has come up short.

"Earlier this year, in the summer, Avanti tried to blame drivers for taking "unofficial industrial action", which it knew to be untrue.

"Now the company has been caught out again because it is trying to run its service on the West Coast main line on the cheap - cheating staff, passengers, and taxpayers - to line the pockets of its shareholders. That is a disgrace.

"If it had done the right thing and employed, as we have consistently asked it to do, enough drivers it would not have had the problems that have persisted all through this year.

"Now the company, to try to cover its own inadequacies, is trying to impose rosters on drivers without going through the proper and agreed process."

An Avanti West Coast spokesperson said: "We're disappointed Aslef are choosing to ballot their members at our Euston depot, as the new rosters are fully in line with our drivers' existing terms and conditions.

"We've followed all the procedures when consulting with our drivers at Euston and aren't asking them to do anything that hasn't been agreed by their colleagues at other depots.

"Over the last few months, we've worked extensively with our people and the unions, including Aslef, to introduce our new timetable that is based on a robust and sustainable roster and gives our customers more trains and greater connectivity."

Avanti said only drivers based at Euston are being balloted, adding that the union has agreed the rosters at other depots.

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