Commuters are facing another wave of strikes and rail disruption this week as train drivers are walking out due to an ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions.
Drivers who are members of the ASLEF union will take strike action across a week in early December.
The action is set to impact Manchester stations, but strikes will be staggered. An overtime ban begins on Friday December 1 and runs until Saturday December 8, which may impact companies ability to operate all services.
The worst affected day for Manchester during the strike period is likely to be Friday December 8, as both Northern and Transpennine express drivers will be taking industrial action that day.
We spoke to people in Manchester about the strikes.
Drivers who are members of the ASLEF union will take strike action across a week in early December.
The action is set to impact Manchester stations, but strikes will be staggered. An overtime ban begins on Friday December 1 and runs until Saturday December 8, which may impact companies ability to operate all services.
The worst affected day for Manchester during the strike period is likely to be Friday December 8, as both Northern and Transpennine express drivers will be taking industrial action that day.
We spoke to people in Manchester about the strikes.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 "I hope they resolve it as soon as they can because there's a lot of people rely on trains."
00:05 Commuters are facing another wave of strikes and rail disruption this week as train drivers
00:10 are walking out due to an ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions.
00:15 Drivers who are members of the Aslev union will take strike action across a week in early December.
00:21 The action is set to impact Manchester stations, but strikes will be staggered.
00:26 An overtime ban begins on the 1st of December and runs until the 8th of December,
00:30 which may impact companies' ability to operate all services.
00:34 The worst affected day for Manchester during the strike period is likely to be Friday the 8th of
00:39 December as both Northern and Transpennine Express drivers will be taking industrial
00:44 action that day. We spoke to people in Manchester about the strikes.
00:48 "Oh it's a tough one isn't it really because you don't want to sound kind of like you're
00:52 in one camp or the other. I mean I personally don't do trains at all really, I kind of drive
00:57 anywhere. But I understand that you know people want better paid jobs or if they're doing a service
01:04 you know I work in public service, most of my family work in public service and we've all
01:08 striked at one point or another for various different reasons so I kind of get behind it
01:13 and I understand it. I think this time of the year it's probably too disruptional because people are
01:19 travelling to see families that they don't get to see during the year but you know it is they have
01:24 to do what they need to do." "Now that's a good question because I can get the point that they
01:29 have to strike and that the government should be a bit more helpful but on the other hand I think
01:33 they also have a duty to the public and especially us we live a bit outside the main sort of area and
01:41 you're stuck then if you don't drive you are stuck and lots of the older people that we have in our
01:45 community they're stuck and we don't have very good bus systems so it's a bit yeah it's a two
01:50 two-sided story for me. You know they leave people out in the cold and that that's what worries me,
01:56 I think they should pick other times if they need to do it." "Obviously it's going to interrupt
02:00 everything." "And that's what's going to get everybody riled up because they're wanting to go
02:05 to places, visit places, go for the Christmas shopping and that's one of the things that's
02:10 going to get the goat at public. But it's like do you hit them when it's the right time at Christmas
02:19 where people will notice otherwise what's the point in having a strike if it's not going to
02:24 cause anybody inconvenience nobody's going to listen either. But we are pro-striking for your
02:30 right, it's your right to do so isn't it?" "Well I use the trains a lot but I've sort of stayed away
02:38 from them at the moment because of sort of like the chaos. They have to pay their bills like anyone
02:44 else and the only thing they can do is withdraw their labour, there's nothing else they have.
02:48 One of the tactics which we may not like is the fact you have to cause as much disruption as
02:53 possible and Christmas is your time to do it." "People have the right to strike, I think there's
02:59 got to be some acceptance and acknowledgement of the times we're living in and people needing to
03:05 get to work and what have you but I don't deny people the right to strike and I think both
03:11 parties should make a grown-up agreement to get around the table more. It'll only be solved by
03:15 talking not by putting the members of the public disadvantaging them and I know that some of these
03:20 guys have probably paid quite well as train drivers and you know they need to take a long
03:25 hard look at themselves and look around at what other people are suffering at the moment."