Passengers looking at screens in Euston during an earlier train strike in August
(Picture: REUTERS)Train drivers at three companies have voted for a fresh strike in a dispute over pay in the latest walk out affecting the industry.
Members of the Aslef union at Chiltern, Northern and TransPennine Express backed the strikes in votes of more than 9-1 in favour, with turnouts of more than 80%.
No dates have yet been set.
Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said strikes were always the last resort, adding: “You can see from the votes - and the turnouts - just how angry our members are.
“These are the men and women who moved key workers and goods around the country during the pandemic, yet have not had a pay rise since 2019.
“With inflation running at north of 10% - and set to go much higher - several train companies are saying that they want their drivers to take a real-terms pay cut. Their attitude is ‘suck it up’ - and that stinks.
He described talks with the industry group, the Rail Delivery Group, as “strained but quite constructive”.
“There were no concrete proposals but dialogue will, we hope, continue,” he said.
“That’s why we are calling on the companies to come to the table with a proper proposal to help our members, their drivers, buy this year what they could buy last year.
“That is the way to prevent another strike and all the disruption that causes. The ball is now firmly in the train companies’ court."
A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said: “We want to give our people a pay rise, but to fund it unions must recognise that as an industry that has lost 20% of its revenue, we can either adapt or decline.
“Instead of causing further disruption to passengers and businesses, we urge the Aslef leadership to continue talks so we can change our services to meet new travel patterns, improve punctuality and secure a bright, long-term future for our people."
In a separate strike, members of the Aslef union are also set to walk out on London Tramlink, based in Croydon, for three days in September.
Union officials said tram drivers and other staff had been offered a three per cent payrise, which is outstripped by inflation.
It comes after a series of wide-ranging strikes earlier this month which sparked commuter chaos and left many services not running.
