25 January 2024 , 20:29
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A rail union boss has warned of no end to strikes ahead of a fresh wave of industrial action.
Mick Whelan, general secretary of train drivers union ASLEF, said it had a “rolling mandate” from members to stage walkouts in a row over pay and working conditions that has already dragged on for 18 months. It comes ahead of strikes starting next Monday, impacting train services across England. A combination of stoppages and an overtime ban will continue until February 6. Passengers are being urged to check before they travel.
Whelan blamed the impasse on government “dogma”, claiming the Tories were preventing train companies from reaching a deal. “The employers, driven by the government, are being unrealistic,” he said.
“The fact we haven’t seen the transport minister for well over a year, and the employers since last April, shows there is no willingness from the other side to negotiate.”
The Government has introduced strike-busting “minimum service requirements” to try to tackle industrial unrest. But faced with more train strikes, not one rail company is making use of the law.
Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade
One company that said it would, LNER, subsequently backed down in the face of pressure from ASLEF.
Asked on BBC Radio 4 if the new law was unworkable, Whelan said: “We would hope so, but it doesn’t mean it has gone away.”