Train drivers are to strike for two more days next month with ministers apparently blocking an improved pay deal, despite the transport secretary saying he had given permission to rail firms to ‘make a new offer to rail unions’.
Drivers’ union ASLEF said it had rejected a proposal from what it called a ‘cartel’ that was not the result of negotiation, ‘despite this trade union making itself available more often than the other side for talks’. As a result, drivers will strike on Wednesday 1 and Friday 3 February.
An ASLEF picket
The minority of drivers at 14 rail operators who are RMT members will also strike on the same two days.
The move comes in response to an offer from the Rail Delivery Group on 6 January on behalf of train operating companies of 4% for 2022 and a further 4% for 2023.
ASLEF pointed out that this was the first offer made by TOCs, six and a half months into the dispute.
General secretary Mick Whelan said: ‘The proposal is not and could not ever be acceptable but we are willing to engage in further discussions within the process that we previously agreed.’
He added: ‘Not only is the offer a real-terms pay cut, with inflation running north of 10%, but it came with so many conditions attached that it was clearly unacceptable. They want to rip up our terms and conditions in return for a real-terms pay cut! It was clearly a rushed offer, made just before our meeting with the minister, and not one, it seems to me, that was designed to be accepted.’
The ongoing dispute between ASLEF and TOCs is in contrast to apparent progress in negotiations involving other rail workers, mainly represented by RMT, where the RDG has also offered successive pay rises of 4% and Network Rail has offered a 5% rise followed by 4%. In both cases the offers are also subject to significant changes to working practices.
Last week, the RDG and the RMT held what were described as ‘detailed discussions’ and agreed to work jointly towards a revised offer.
On Sunday, transport secretary Mark Harper told Sky News: 'The train operating companies have got permission from me to make a new offer to rail unions.’
However, when asked on Tuesday by Transport Network, neither the Department for Transport nor the RDG would state whether TOCs had Mr Harper’s permission to increase their offer to drivers, implicitly conceding that his statement only applied to negotiations with the RMT.
The DfT said the Government had ‘played its part and facilitated conversations’.
A spokesperson said: ‘Passengers have borne the brunt of these damaging strikes for far too long, so it’s incredibly disappointing Aslef has rejected the RDG’s offer outright and called more strikes before even getting round the negotiating table.’
An RDG spokesperson said: Rather than announcing further unnecessary strikes, we ask Aslef to recognise the very real financial challenge the industry is facing and work with us to deliver a better railway with a strong long-term future.’
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