Train strikes to hit sector for £387m

This would mean there has been a total of £750m lost to hospitality businesses in 2024 so far due to strikes with the total impact since the beginning of the dispute in 2022 to now have totalled £5bn.

Train drivers who are members of union Aslef will take part in a programme of one-day strikes, coupled with a six-day overtime ban over the next few days.

On Friday 5 April, the strikes will impact services on Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway and West Midlands Railway.

For Saturday 6 April, it will affect Chiltern Railways, Great Western Railway, LNER, Northern and TransPennine Express.

Industrial action

While on Monday 8 April, it will impact c2c, Gatwick Express, Greater Anglia (including Stansted Express), Great Northern, Southeastern, Southern, South Western Railway (including Island Line) and Thameslink.

In addition, overtime bans will take place on Friday 5 April, Saturday 6 April, Monday 8 April and Tuesday 9 April.

There will be more industrial action later on this month with Aslef members at LNER striking on Saturday 20 April and refusing to work non-contractual overtime from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 April because of the company’s failure to adhere to the agreed bargaining machinery, according to Aslef.

However, London Underground strikes that were set to take place next week) have been called off.

There were plans for two rolling 24-hour strikes on Monday 8 April and Saturday 4 May however, following discussions with Transport for London officials, there is no longer action on these days.

Collateral damage

UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “The cumulative cost of rail strikes continues to pile up for hospitality businesses with potential lost sales of up to £387m over the next four days alone.

“There is never a good time for strikes but this disruption will be particularly damaging. Families looking to enjoy the Easter holidays will now find plans disrupted and hospitality businesses trying to generate much-needed sales will see customer numbers dwindle.

“As April marks the cost of wages and business rates increasing annually by £3.4bn for hospitality, businesses were looking to a successful Easter to help cover those new costs [and] that now looks like an increasingly difficult prospect.

“Hospitality continues to suffer as collateral damage in this dispute and it’s putting at risk the many ways hospitality serves Britain – through offering great experiences, employing millions of people and putting billions of pounds into the economy.

“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.”