Nicholls declares 'enough is enough' as May rail strikes announced

24-Apr-2024 - Last updated on 24-Apr-2024 at 08:59 GMT

Enough is enough: rail strikes to take place in May (Credit: Getty/Urbancow)

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UKHospitality (UKH) chief executive Kate Nicholls has declared "enough is enough” after ASLEF proclaimed further rail strikes will take place.

The Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) said staff at 16 train companies would take part in rolling one-day walkouts between Tuesday 7 May and Thursday 9 May amid ongoing discussions regarding pay and working conditions.

An overtime will also take place between Monday 6 and Saturday 11 May, coinciding with the May Day Bank Holiday.

Drivers from participating train companies will take part in the industrial action on varying days.

Erodes confidence

Tuesday 7 May will see Greater Anglia, c2c, Great Northern, Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern, Gatwick Express, Southwestern Railway main line and Island Line strike.

Meanwhile, Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains will down tools on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 will see action on LNER, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express services.

Following the announcement, Nicholls took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to call for an end to industrial action, stating “enough is enough”.

The post said: “Enough is enough - hospitality leisure and tourism once again collateral damage. This needs drawing to an end now.”

Furthermore, “ongoing strike action hurts businesses, prevents people from getting to work and significantly erodes confidence in the rail network", the CEO told the Independent newspaper.

Enough is enough - hospitality leisure and tourism once again collateral damage. This needs drawing to an end now https://t.co/8SBBjP9YYs
— Kate Nicholls OBE (@UKHospKate) April 22, 2024

End to the dispute

According to UKH, the previous rail strikes in April could have cost the hospitality sector £387m in lost sales.

The trade body also estimated a total of £750m had been lost to hospitality businesses in 2024 alone so far due to strikes.

In addition, it projected the total impact since the beginning of the dispute in 2022 had now totalled £5bn.

Regarding industrial action in April, Nicholls said: “This dispute has gone on for far too long and we need all parties to urgently get back round the table to negotiate.

“A solution that brings ongoing disruption to an end will be good for workers, businesses and the economy.”