London Underground tube drivers have voted overwhelmingly to accept a new pay deal, finally paving the way for the arrival of the Night Tube.
In a ballot conducted by Electoral Reform Services, 88.6% of ASLEF members who voted, backed Transport for London’s (TfL) pay and Night Tube plans.
Finn Brennan, ASLEF’s district organiser on London Underground, said: ‘This is a real victory for strong, pragmatic trade unionism. There will always be changes in the workplace, but change must come through negotiation and agreement and should always bring real benefits for employees. We are now in discussions about the introduction of an all-night service on Friday and Saturday nights and expect this to be rolled out this summer.’
He added: ‘As a trade union we feel the outgoing mayor of London, who has failed Londoners on so many levels during his time in office, deliberately created an unnecessary dispute for his own political ambitions.
'The outgoing mayor has, in the process, damaged the trust between TfL and all its employees by the relentlessly political nature of what was, or should have been, an industrial negotiation. It will be good to see the back of Boris in May because the difficulties he has caused have, in effect, delayed the introduction of the Night Tube by 18 months and caused problems for passengers as well as staff.’
Last week The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union announced a ballot London Underground maintenance workers for strike action, just days after most of its members accepted a deal over the Night Tube.
