ASLEF members at eight train companies have voted for strike action in a dispute over pay.
“Strikes are always the last resort,” said Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, the train drivers’ union. “We don’t want to inconvenience passengers – our friends and families use public transport, too – and we don’t want to lose money by going on strike but we’ve been forced into this position by the companies driven by the government.
“Many of our members – who were, you will remember, the men and women who moved key workers and goods around the country during the pandemic – have not had a pay rise since 2019.
“With inflation running at north of 10% that means those drivers have had a real terms pay cut over the last three years. We want an increase in line with the cost of living – we want to be able to buy, in 2022, what we could buy in 2021.
“It’s not unreasonable to ask your employer to make sure you’re not worse off for three years in a row. Especially as the train companies are doing very nicely, thank you, out of Britain’s railways – with handsome profits, dividends for shareholders, and big salaries for managers – and train drivers don’t want to work longer for less.”
ASLEF emphasised in a release announcing the results that being a train driver is a professional, technical, and safety-critical job. They drew attention to the fact it takes a year to train a driver who can be responsible for the lives of up to 1,300 people on any journey.
Mick said: ‘We don’t think we’re special; we believe no worker in this country should put up with pay cuts year after year just because this government has allowed inflation to rise. Whatever happened to the Tory wish for good, well-paid, jobs? Obviously that’s only for the CEOs, not for the workers doing the job.
“And, don’t forget, if a train driver doesn’t get a cost of living increase, it won’t mean that a nurse, or care worker, or cleaner will get one. This isn’t – or shouldn’t be – about setting one worker against another.
“Wage rises aren’t exacerbating inflation, anyway. Excess profiteering is. The government isn’t asking companies to cut profits or dividend payments to help manage inflation. Wages are chasing prices, not putting them up.”
Mick added: “We’re happy to talk to anyone to do a deal and make sure Britain’s railways aren’t disrupted. The government is restricting what the operators can offer, but then refusing to get involved in negotiation. They seem to have no interest in finding a resolution.”
The vote
Train drivers were asked two questions: Are you prepared to take part in industrial action short of a strike? Are you prepared to take part in industrial action consisting of a strike? These are the votes for strike action:
Arriva Rail London:
Yes: 637 [98.9%]
No: 7 [1.1%]
Turnout: 92.5%
Chiltern Railways:
Yes: 217 [92.3%]
No: 18 [7.7%]
Turnout: 86.4%
Great Western:
Yes: 1,049 [86.1%]
No: 170 [13.9%]
Turnout: 86.3%
LNER:
Yes: 323 [88.5%]
No: 42 [11.5%]
Turnout: 89.0%
Northern Trains:
Yes: 1,562 [95.2%]
No: 78 [4.8%]
Turnout: 88.5%
Southeastern:
Yes: 741 [91.6%]
No: 68 [8.4%]
Turnout: 86.2 %
TransPennine Express:
Yes: 426 [94.2%]
No: 26 [5.8%]
Turnout: 84.8%
West Midlands Trains:
Yes: 636 [89.6%]
No: 74 [10.4%]
Turnout: 83.5%
Response
Grant Shapps said: “Unions linked to Labour have announced train driver strikes. On a salary of almost £60,000, it isn’t fair for train drivers to hurt those on lower wages with more walkouts.
“As Prime Minister, I would stand up to the unions and make it harder to hold our country to ransom.”
A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said: “We want to see rail unions engage with train operators over the reforms needed to secure a bright long-term future for the industry, including working with ASLEF to deliver the more punctual, reliable services we know passengers care about. Instead of causing further disruption to passengers and businesses, we urge the ASLEF leadership to continue talks.”
