The Government has hit back at rail unions’ plans to “cause further misery” to passengers with plans to strike this summer.
Train drivers from Aslef are voting to enact the biggest train drivers’ strike in 25 years.
Aslef is balloting drivers at 10 train companies - with the first results due next week - over the Department for Transport’s plans to increase pay by 2 per cent plus money saved from productivity gains, such as changes to shift patterns.
The union wants an increase close to the predicted inflation of 11 per cent.
Mick Whelan, general secretary of the union, told the Financial Times on Tuesday: “It will be far more disruptive than it has been in the past. We do not go on strike very often.”
The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, meanwhile, said it is also looking to take action over pay and job security.
An association spokesman told the Standard that they have “been at the table” for talks but they are concerned at the threat of compulsory redundancies.
“The huge thing in all of this is the cost of living crisis, everybody's bills are going up and it’s no different for train staff,” they said.
The spokesman said London staff were on starting salaries “in the early £20,000s” and that one member said they were “better off working at Lidl”.
It is understood the first possible walkout will be no earlier than July 25.
Cross Country and East Midlands Railway staff have already voted in favour following on from Avanti West Coast.
Association secretary Manuel Cortes said: “The results demonstrate that our members are utterly determined to fight for their pay, jobs and conditions. They are right to do so amid the escalating Tory cost of living crisis and with a government hell bent on making swingeing cuts to our rail network.”
The RMT Union caused major rail disruption with walkouts on several days in June but Mr Whelan has said the three unions will not coordinate any strikes.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: ‘We want to see rail unions engage fully with their employers, instead some are first seeking to cause further misery to passengers by disrupting the rail network.
“The rail industry is in desperate need of modernisation to make it work better for passengers and be financially sustainable for the long term.”
Secretary of State Grant Shapps also hit out on Twitter. He wrote: “As union bosses waste time touring television studios, I'm getting on with the job at hand and modernising our railway.”
