TRAIN drivers fighting for their first pay rise in four years will refuse to work overtime in their fifth week-long ban since May.

Aslef warned services at 15 rail companies in England will be seriously affected from Monday August 7 to Saturday August 12 due to chronic understaffing.

General secretary Mick Whelan said: “We don’t want to take this action, because we don’t want people to be inconvenienced.

“But the train companies, and the government which stands behind them, have forced us into this place because they refuse to sit down and talk to us and have not made a fair and sensible pay offer to train drivers, who have not had one for four years while prices have soared in that time by more than 12 per cent.”

He said a 4 per cent pay rise offer made on April 26 was a “naked land grab on drivers,” as further rises would depend on them giving up hard-fought terms and conditions.

The union said it has not had any communication with the rail firms since, or sat down with the government since January 6.

“That shows how little the companies and the government care about passengers and staff. They are happy to let this go on and on,” Mr Whelan said.

“But we are determined to get a proper increase, a fair pay rise, for men and women who haven’t had one for four years while inflation has been roaring away.”

The move will affect Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, Cross Country, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Island Line, LNER, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains.

The latest overtime ban ended on Saturday, with another one due from July 31 to August 5.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union meanwhile staged two strikes last week and will walk out again on Saturday in a bitter row over pay, jobs and conditions.

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said: “We ask Aslef to recognise the very real financial challenge the industry is facing and work with us to deliver a better, more reliable railway with a strong long-term future.”