Train drivers vote to accept multiyear pay offer and end two-year dispute

Train drivers have voted overwhelmingly to accept a multiyear pay offer, ending a two-year dispute at 16 rail companies.

Aslef said its members voted by 96% in favour of a deal the union said was worth 15% over three years. The turnout was 84%.

The offer was made by the new Labour Government within weeks of the party winning the general election.

The ballot result ends what Aslef called the longest train drivers’ strike in recent history, during which drivers took 18 days of strike action.

Aslef had accused the previous Conservative government of “sitting on its hands” and refusing to negotiate.

Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, said: “It is with great pleasure that we can announce the end of the longest train drivers’ strike in history.

“The strength and resilience and determination shown by train drivers to protect their hard-won and paid-for terms and conditions against the political piracy of an inept and destructive Tory government has prevailed.

“It was not a fight we sought, or wanted. All we sought after five years without a pay rise, working for private companies who, throughout that period, declared millions of pounds in profits and dividends to shareholders, was a dent in the cost of living.

“We are grateful that Louise Haigh, the Secretary of State for Transport, and the adults entered the room and sought an equitable way forward so that trains will perform and run in the interest of the passenger, of the taxpayer and of those who work in and are dedicated to this industry.

“Those who have been lying about this pay offer, and conflating the deal offered to train drivers with decisions on the winter fuel allowance, should be ashamed.

“Although it seems to be the work of those who would not accurately report anything about train drivers over the past two years.

“Now we will get back to our day job of seeking a green, well-invested, vertically-integrated and safe public railway.”

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: “After two years of chaos on our railways under the Conservatives, this is an important step towards fixing our railways and getting the country moving again.

“It will ensure a more reliable service by helping to protect passengers from national strikes, and crucially, it clears the way for vital reform – including modernising outdated working practices – to ensure a better performing railway for everyone.

“We have inherited a £22 billion blackhole in the nation’s finances.

“Every decision taken is to stabilise the economy and protect working people.

“The cost of not settling would significantly outstrip the cost of this below-inflation deal.

“We won’t make the same mistake as the Conservatives, who deliberately prolonged disputes resulting in the longest strike in the history of the railways – costing our economy and the taxpayer more than £1 billion.

“This Labour Government will always put passengers and taxpayers first.”

During the dispute 13,000 drivers took 18 days of strike action as well as refusing to work non-contractual overtime at 16 companies: Avanti West Coast, Chiltern, C2C, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, Great Northern Thameslink, Great Western Railway, LNER, Northern, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway and Island Line, TransPennine Express, and West Midlands Trains.

Aslef said the no strings offer is for 5% for 2022 to 2023; 4.75% for 2023 to 2024; and 4.5% for 2024 to 2025.

The union said that when compounded, the offer works out at 15% and is backdated and pensionable and includes drivers who retired or left the industry during the dispute.

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said: “We welcome the news that the dispute with train drivers has been resolved. The whole railway now needs to pull together and focus on delivering the best possible service for our customers.”

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “Hospitality businesses will be breathing a huge sigh of relief at the news that Aslef members have voted to end the union’s national pay dispute.

“The strikes have been enormously disruptive over the past two and a half years, with businesses estimated to have lost out on £3.5 billion in sales as a result.

“It’s also cost workers who have not been able to make it for shifts and impacted families who have had to cancel plans.

“A resolution as we head towards the winter months and the critical ‘golden quarter’, when hospitality makes a significant chunk of its revenue around Christmas, was absolutely essential.

“With a line now drawn under this dispute, I hope all parties can work together to rebuild faith and confidence in our rail network, which is so critical to hospitality, leisure and tourism.”

Alex Robertson, chief executive at the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: “Passengers, who have had enough of disruption caused by industrial action, will be relieved to hear that Aslef and the rail industry have reached an agreement.

“We hope this will provide some much-needed certainty when travelling by train.

“Passengers will now want to see a relentless focus on day-to-day performance from train operators so that they can plan their journeys with confidence.”