Aslef Drivers At Eight Train Operators Vote To Strike Over Pay Railroad Strikes

Members of Aslef train drivers’ union at Chiltern, Great Western Railway, London North Eastern Railway, London Overground, Northern, Southeastern, TransPennine Express and West Midlands voted overwhelmingly in favor of strike action. Drivers at three other companies have already voted in favor of strike action, and the broad mandate from the vote results announced on Monday means Aslef could stage industrial action as disruptive as the RMT rail union’s strike at the end of June. The union’s general secretary, Mick Whelan, said strikes were “always a last resort”. Most drivers have not had a pay rise in three years, according to Aslef, while operators have offered 2%, well below the current rate of inflation. Whelan said: “We don’t want to inconvenience passengers – our friends and families also use public transport – and we don’t want to lose money from the strike, but we’ve been forced into this position by the companies, it’s been driven by the government ». More to come…