Gatwick train strike planned

Train drivers on the route from London to Gatwick airport are reportedly planning strikes on two of the busiest travelling days of the year, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Gatwick Express has stated that while an attempt would be made to provide a service on the two days, as well as 28 November and 8 December, but admitted that the service would be “seriously disrupted”. The Independent reports that 90 per cent of drivers have voted to walk out in protest at a 7.5 per cent pay offer over two years; Aslef, the train drivers’ union, is demanding a six per cent annual rise. The union claims Gatwick Express has been making “huge profits” while paying low salaries to its drivers; Gatwick Express, however, said that the 7.5 per cent offer “shows how highly we value our staff”.