UK

New public mood backs train drivers striking this weekend, says Aslef leader Mick Whelan


Mick Whelan (centre), general secretary, Aslef, joins the picket line outside Paddington train station in London as members of the drivers union Aslef at seven train operators walk out for 24 hours over pay

TRAIN drivers striking at nine operating companies today can be assured of widespread public support, their union leader Mick Whelan told the Morning Star.

Members of drivers’ union Aslef will walk out for 24 hours in a pay dispute at Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, LNER, Southeastern, West Midlands Trains and London Overground.

Mr Whelan said that train companies claim to be barred from awarding a pay rise in line with inflation by “dodgy deals” imposed by the government when their franchises were turned into management contracts, but government says the dispute is nothing to do with it and must be dealt with by the companies.

“So we are caught in a Catch 22 situation where each side blames the other,” he explained.

“The drivers at these companies have not had an increase for three years. With inflation running at 9, 10 or even 11 per cent, we are being told to take a real-terms pay cut. Strike action is now the only option available, but we are always open for talks if the companies, or government, want to come to the table.”

Rail workers kept services running through the coronavirus pandemic while the government handed public money to operators that used it to shore up profits, Mr Whelan pointed out.

Yet rather than negotiate properly with unions, he said, ministers and rail companies such as Avanti are “spreading lies” about workers taking “unofficial strike action” to cover up their own failure to employ enough staff to run trains if workers don’t volunteer to work overtime.

Propaganda about unions resisting “modernisation” is also just that, Mr Whelan told the Morning Star.

“The government is using the pandemic and other failures like the fallout from its Brexit deal to push attacks on the workforce it has wanted for a long time.

“Nobody has come to us to talk about introducing new technology or decarbonisation. ‘Modernisation’ just means attacks on unions and workers’ terms and conditions.”

But Mr Whelan said that if transport strikes were often unpopular in the past, the mood has changed.

“Strikes are really resonating now and we’re getting unprecedented support,” he said. “I was incredibly proud to speak at the Morning Star rally this week where we heard from workers in sector after sector taking strike action to defend their living standards.”