MORE disruption is feared on the London Midland network, after just three routes saw trains on Sunday as the result of a pay dispute between the company and the drivers’ union ASLEF.
The core issue is that Sunday working is not compulsory. Two years ago, London Midland increased Sunday pay to double-time, to attract more volunteers.
Now the company has said that this level is ‘not sustainable’, and a reduction in pay has caused a ‘silent protest’ by drivers. They have simply failed to agree to work any Sunday shifts – which are not included in their contracts.
Although most services have been running again today, some disruption was still being reported in the Birmingham area, and there are warnings of more to follow, particularly on the Birmingham New Street lines on Thursday and Friday. (See chart, below.)
Other LM trains were being delayed today by signal failures at Northampton and Sutton Coldfield, which affected some Euston and Birmingham Cross City line services.
Meanwhile, the company is also coming under fire for its plans to close ticket offices at some stations and slim down its workforce by losing more than 100 jobs with a combination of redundancies and leaving posts unfilled.
West Midlands Labour MP Jim Cunningham, whose constituency is Coventry South, has proposed an Early Day Motion in the Commons calling on London Midland to think again, asking his fellow MPs to confirm that they are ‘appalled’ by its plans.
London Midland has set out the prospects for the week like this:
Red significant potential disruption
Amber possible disruption at certain times of day
Green minor or no disruption
Date
Euston lines
Birmingham NS lines
Snow Hill lines
Mon 14 March
Green
Amber
Green
Tues 15 March
Green
Amber
Green
Wed 16 March
Green
Green
Amber
Thurs 17 March
Green
Red
Green
Fri 18 March
Green
Red
Amber
Sat 19 March
Amber
Amber
Amber
Sun 20 March
Green
Green
Green