Train drivers' union warns strikes could escalate

Train drivers whitethorn intensify their run of concern enactment arsenic they question a breakthrough successful the ongoing quality implicit pay, their national person has said.

Drivers astatine 15 bid companies are walking retired connected Thursday, leaving immoderate operators incapable to tally immoderate trains.

Mick Whelan told the BBC his national present had a stronger mandate than before.

Frustrated members had told him Aslef was presently "not going hard and accelerated enough", helium said.

A question of concern enactment is affecting sectors from the wellness and postal services to driving examinations, arsenic radical question wage rises that support up with the rising outgo of living.

Rail workers successful the RMT and different unions person taken portion successful a bid of ample standard strikes implicit much than six months.

Thursday marks the sixth time of enactment since past summertime by members of Aslef, which represents astir bid drivers with 12,500 drivers astatine 15 bid companies expected to instrumentality part.

"It whitethorn beryllium we person to instrumentality greater enactment going forward, to marque radical listen," the national brag said.

"There is simply a immense volition among our rank to continue," Mr Whelan added. "We're successful this for the agelong haul."

The Aslef person said that a wage emergence was years overdue.

One report suggested Aslef members could beryllium offered a caller wage woody worthy £2,000 other per year, but Mr Whelan told the BBC's Today Programme that helium hadn't seen immoderate specified offer.

He added: "If that turns retired to beryllium an offer, and they've leaked it to the press... I deliberation that's aforesaid defeating. It breaches the spot and honourability of the negotiations we're in."

Mr Whelan insisted nary connection astatine each has yet been made by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), the assemblage which represents bid companies.

The group's seat said they were getting person to being capable to enactment guardant an offer.

Steve Montgomery told the BBC "sensible and tenable reform" had to beryllium connected the table.

"I deliberation we person done enactment with Aslef that tin get america there," helium told the BBC. "But it does mean some sides person got to commencement having meaningful discussions. So I bash deliberation we are person but there's inactive further enactment to beryllium done."

The 2 sides are seeking a wide brushwood statement that would past person to beryllium agreed astatine section level with each of the 15 bid companies involved. Mr Whelan said it was imaginable nary statement would beryllium reached wrong the adjacent year.

Aslef and the RMT are expected to conscionable obstruction employers and the obstruction curate connected Monday to effort and find a mode forward.

The authorities and the obstruction operators said changes are needed to moving practices, to modernise the railway and marque it much businesslike - successful bid to money higher pay.

But successful an interrogation with the BBC, Aslef's General Secretary Mr Whelan said what had been discussed did not, successful his view, magnitude to reforms. "They've spoken to america astir a agelong wishlist of productivity-for-nothing," helium said.

The RDG's Mr Montgomery said they were not asking drivers to "do longer hours and person little wage for it", but "asking radical to beryllium much flexible wrong that 35 hr week".

Mr Whelan nevertheless said that successful talks with the Rail Delivery Group, determination had been discussions astir rostering and "tinkering astir the edges". But determination had been nary "big summons items" that would change the existent situation, helium said.

Asked astir the unions' claims that the authorities was holding backmost a settlement, the RDG's Mr Montgomery said determination was "restraint", but said "it's due to the fact that of the information we are utilizing taxpayers' wealth astatine this stage." He added: "We judge we tin bring sensible betterment that volition not outgo the payer thing further."

Mr Whelan said that due to the fact that ostentation had "gone done the roof" since Aslef archetypal sought an offer, what was acceptable six months agone "may not beryllium acceptable to our members now".

"We're chasing a wage emergence that astatine slightest puts a dent successful that inflation," helium said.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said that some the transport caput and the obstruction curate person truthful acold had "polite, constructive" meetings with a scope of national leaders.

"Passengers person rightly had capable of obstruction strikes and privation the disruption to end. Unions should measurement backmost from onslaught enactment truthful we tin commencement 2023 by ending this damaging dispute."

The RMT national antecedently rejected an archetypal connection by the Rail Delivery Group, saying the conditions attached were not acceptable.