Aslef members have voted by a large majority to continue strike action for the next six months in their dispute over pay, the train drivers’ union has announced.
Union members at 12 train operators in England were reballoted, each returning sizeable votes in favour of further industrial action.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “We are in this for the long haul. Our members who have not had a pay rise for nearly five years now are determined that the train companies and the Tory government that stands behind them do the right thing.
“The cost of living has soared since the spring and summer of 2019, when these pay deals ran out.
Train strikes
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“The bosses at the train companies – as well as Tory MPs and government ministers – have had increases in pay. It’s unrealistic and unfair to expect our members to work just as hard for what, in real terms, is considerably less.”
Train drivers have already started a overtime ban which is likely to disrupt services across England for the next week.
Yesterday, members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union agreed to an offer from train companies for a backdated pay rise of 5% for 2022-23 and job security guarantees. This means the RMT’s mandate to strike has been withdrawn.
Whelan said he had not had a meeting with transport secretary Mark Harper since December 2022, or with Huw Merriman, the rail minister, since January or with the private sector train operators who they work for since April.
He said on X: “We’re prepared to come to the table but the government and train companies need to understand that this dispute won’t be resolved by trying to bully our members into accepting worse terms and conditions.”
Merriman said Aslef was the only rail union still striking and the only union not to have put an offer to its members.
“The fair and reasonable offer that’s long been on the table would bring the average train driver’s salary up to £65,000 for a 35 hour, four-day week.”
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