Commuters face rail strike misery

OLDHAM commuters face chaos on Monday when Northern Rail train drivers go on strike.

Members of the drivers’ union ASLEF have voted by over 90 per cent to support industrial action across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Cumbria after a breakdown in industrial relations, including a row over rest-day working.

Unless there is a last-minute settlement, only one route in Greater Manchester will survive the strike.

A special service will run between Leeds and Manchester Victoria, through Rochdale and Mills Hill.

Northern managing director Heidi Mottram said: “We are hopeful that we can reach agreement with our drivers’ representatives and that the strike will not take place.

“We are telling customers about the proposed strike action now so that they can make alternative arrangements in case the strike does go ahead.”

Union general secretary Keith Norman says that he was notified of over 60 separate instances of “failures to consult or of management breaking agreements”. He has met with Northern management but stresses that industrial relations at the company cannot be resolved or improved at national level.

“The key is for management to re-establish cordial and respectful dialogue with local and company representatives,” he said.

And he insisted: “Our aim is to resolve this dispute without taking industrial action. If management take the same attitude it is possible to achieve this.”

Northern runs 2,500 local and regional train services every weekday across the north of England but only those in the North-West will be affected.