Barons blocking fans from getting to final support Chelsea and Arsenal
How convenient! Rail barons blocking thousands of rival Manchester City and United fans from getting to Wembley on FA Cup Final day… are Chelsea and Arsenal supporters
- Aslef has announced three days of walkouts that will include the FA Cup final
- Thousands of fans travelling to Wembley from Manchester face travel chaos
Rail union bosses who support Chelsea and Arsenal have been slammed for organising train strikes on the day of the FA Cup final between Manchester United and Manchester City.
Aslef has announced three days of fresh walkouts that will include the huge football fixture at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, June 3.
Thousands of fans are expected to make the journey down to London by train, but their plans have been scuppered as Avanti West Coast is one of 16 companies affected by the industrial action.
Racegoers hoping to attend the Epsom Derby also now face travel chaos the same day.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan, who has described the latest pay offer as ‘risible’, is a Chelsea fan and his desk is understood to be filled with club memorabilia.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan is a Chelsea fan who is said to have a desk covered in club memorabilia
Aslef president David Calfe is an Arsenal fan, who were knocked out of the FA Cup by Man City and also lost a crunch Premier League tie against the side earlier this week
Aslef has announced three days of fresh walkouts that will include the huge football fixture at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, June 3
The union’s president David Calfe, meanwhile, supports Arsenal. Both sides were knocked out of the competition by Man City.
Tory MP Brendan Clarke-Smith told The Sun: ‘This looks like nothing more than sour grapes on the part of the union after their teams have lost.
READ MORE: How much do train drivers get paid in the UK?
‘The actions of Aslef will ruin the plans for football fans, families and those wanting to experience Eurovision. I’m giving them nul points.’
The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust has also urged the Government to intervene in the rail dispute.
It is understood that both United and City are monitoring the situation and will liaise with the FA and fans’ groups.
A statement read: ‘A train strike on Cup Final day will be a huge inconvenience to the tens of thousands of supporters travelling down from Manchester to London on the day.
‘We need all modes of transport available to cope with the level of demand and the railways are a key part of that.
‘We call on the Government and the trade union to get round the table and find a way to avert this industrial action.’
Rail walkouts will also take place on May 12 and May 31, with the former hitting the eve of the Eurovision finals.
Caroline Dinenage, Tory MP for Gosport, accused Aslef of depriving Ukrainian people of a chance for escapism from the war back home.
She added: ‘This is Ukraine’s Eurovision and British people have put their heart and soul into doing it justice for them.
Mae Muller, the UK’s entry for the Eurovision finals this summer, is pictured during a performance in Malta
Racegoers hoping to attend the Epsom Derby also now face travel chaos due to rail strikes the same day as the FA Cup final
‘It feels heartless to deprive Ukrainian people the rare opportunity for escapism after everything they have endured.’
Fans of both clubs also took to social media to slam Aslef for organising the strike on FA Cup day.
One wrote: ‘Train strikes taking place on the day of an FA Cup final, where 2 teams are from Manchester but have to travel to London for a 3pm kick off. All sounds like a bit of a shambles to me.’
Another added: ‘They could strike any day of the week yet they’re choosing the FA cup final knowing full well it will annoy every travelling football fan, this shows it’s not about pay at all.’
The latest disruption to the rail network follows months of industrial action caused by the pay dispute between the Rail Delivery Group and the two main unions, Aslef and the RMT.
Mr Whelan said: ‘Our executive committee met this morning and rejected a risible proposal we received from the RDG, a pressure group which represents some of the train companies, and lobbies on their behalf, late on Wednesday afternoon.
‘The proposal – of just 4% – was clearly not designed to be accepted as inflation is still running north of 10% and our members at these companies have not had an increase for four years.
‘The RDG, in turn, rejected our proposals to modernise Britain’s railways and help them run more efficiently, for passengers and for businesses, in the 21st century.
‘Consequently, we have today announced three more days of strike action – on Friday 12 May, Wednesday 31 May, and Saturday 3 June – at the companies with which we are in dispute, and which are letting down passengers, and taxpayers, so badly.
‘We are also withdrawing non-contractual overtime from Monday 15 to Saturday 20 May inclusive, as well as on Saturday 13 May and Thursday 1 June.’
Many City and United fans took to Twitter on Thursday morning to express their anger at the timing, with one writing: ‘All sounds like a bit of a shambles to me’
The train operating companies involved in the dispute are Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; CrossCountry; East Midlands Railway; Great Western Railway; Greater Anglia; GTR Great Northern Thameslink; London North Eastern Railway; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Express; South Western Railway; SWR depot drivers; SWR Island Line; TransPennine Express; and West Midlands Trains.
Aslef said its negotiating team has met representatives of the employers on eight occasions over the past year to try to find a resolution.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘The RDG have reneged on their original proposals and torpedoed these negotiations.
‘No doubt their decision is due to pressure exerted on them by the Tory Government.
‘Therefore, we have no alternative but to press ahead with more strike action and continue our campaign for a negotiated settlement on pay, conditions and job security.’
Source: Read Full Article