More rail strikes on the way after drivers at eight firms vote for action

Train drivers at eight rail companies have voted to strike in a dispute over pay.

Union Aslef confirmed the news this afternoon.

Lines affected could include Arriva Rail London, Chiltern Railways, Great Western, LNER, Northern Trains, Southeastern, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains.

‘Strikes are always the last resort,’ said Mick Whelan, general secretary of the union, today.

He added: ‘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.’

The Department for Transport (DfT) have called on Aslef to halt plans for ‘further misery’ to passengers.

Union workers are striking in a dispute over their pay conditions.

A spokesperson said: ‘It is very disappointing that, rather than commit to serious dialogue with the industry, Aslef are first seeking to cause further misery to passengers by joining others in disrupting the rail network.

‘Train drivers they represent earn, on average, just under £60,000 per year – more than twice the UK median salary and significantly more than the very workers who will be most impacted by these strikes.

‘Our railway is in desperate need of modernisation to make it work better for passengers and be financially sustainable for the long term. We urge the union bosses to reconsider and work with its employers, not against them, to agree a new way forward.’

The dates of the proposed strike action have not been confirmed.

Walk-outs could impact the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, which is due to attract around one million visitors between 28 July and 8 August.

What were the ballot results in favour of strike action?

Arriva Rail London:

Yes: 637 [98.9%]

No: 7 [1.1%]

Chiltern Railways:

Yes: 217 [92.3%]

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No: 18 [7.7%]

Great Western:

Yes: 1,049 [86.1%]

No: 170 [13.9%]

LNER:

Yes: 323 [88.5%]

No: 42 [11.5%]

Northern Trains:

Yes: 1,562 [95.2%]

No: 78 [4.8%]

Southeastern:

Yes: 741 [91.6%]

No: 68 [8.4%]

TransPennine Express:

Yes: 426 [94.2%]

No: 26 [5.8%]

West Midlands Trains:

Yes: 636 [89.6%]

No: 74 [10.4%]

Mr Whelan added: ‘It’s not unreasonable to ask your employer to make sure you’re not worse off for three years in a row.

‘We’re happy to talk to anyone to do a deal and make sure Britain’s railways aren’t disrupted.’

He claimed the government has ‘no interest in finding a resolution.’

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, has called for Aslef to continue talks for a solution rather than strike action.

A spokesperson 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.’

The DfT have called for ‘further misery’ for passengers to be halted.

Travel plans were already hugely disrupted last month, after 40,000 RMT union workers across 13 operators and at Network Rail, took part in strike action.

The news of further strike action comes after disputes over pay were resolved in Scotland earlier today.

ScotRail train drivers voted to accept a 5% pay increase, Aslef announced.

Trains across the country have been on a severely reduced timetable for nearly two months during the dispute.

ScotRail now say a full timetable could potentially return within 10 days.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

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