Train drivers seek to put ‘dent’ in cost of living in pay talks

Train drivers successful England volition look to “put a dent” successful the outgo of surviving implicit the past fewer years erstwhile they negociate their adjacent wage settlement, according to the caput of their union.

Mick Whelan, wide caput of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (Aslef), told the one Paper immoderate projected emergence was to marque up for net mislaid owed to the cost-of-living crisis.

A woody agreed past twelvemonth with past transport caput Louise Haigh, aft a two-year dispute, saw the 4.5% emergence successful 2024-25, the last signifier of an statement stretching backmost implicit 3 years.

My existent occupation is, I really don't deliberation different radical get paid enough.

Mick Whelan

Mr Whelan said helium did not privation to “appear antagonistic” astatine the commencement of talks connected the adjacent wage settlement.

“My presumption is, rather simply, would we similar much than we got from Louise? Yes, we would. We ever said it wasn’t astir monolithic increases,” helium told the i.

“What we said was astir putting a dent successful the outgo of surviving for the erstwhile 5 years.”

Mr Whelan defended salaries paid to his members, saying helium did not deliberation different radical are paid capable and that wages for nurses, firefighters and situation officers made him “distraught”.

“My existent occupation is, I really don’t deliberation different radical get paid enough,” helium said. “If we don’t instrumentality a wage rise, volition these companies springiness it to others?”

Mr Whelan warned astir problems with obstruction workers connected “different conditions” erstwhile they are brought unneurotic from antithetic companies to signifier the recently created Great British Railways (GBR) arsenic the Government looks to nationalise the manufacture successful England and Wales.

Strikes planned by workers connected Avanti West Coast implicit the adjacent 2 Sundays person been called disconnected to let for talks to instrumentality place.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport national (RMT) person been taking concern enactment successful a quality implicit rest-day working.

Future strikes are inactive successful place.