Train drivers offered bumper pay deal to end strikes after two years of rail misery
14 August 2024, 22:34
Train drivers have been offered a bumper pay deal to end rail strikes after two years of travel misery.
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The "major breakthrough' in the long-running dispute follows a series of "positive" talks led by the government.
Drivers are now set to vote on the multi-year pay offer, potentially putting an end to industrial action across the rail network.
The offer made to Aslef is a 5% pay rise for 2022/23, 4.75% for 23/24 and 4.5% for 24/25.
Union members have been advised to accept the offer, which is not conditional on changes to terms.
Over the past two years, there have been several strikes and overtime bans due to the dispute.
Aslef reached a stalemate with the previous Tory government but talks resumed last month after Labour took over.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: “When I took this job, I said I wanted to move fast and fix things – starting by bringing an end to rail strikes.
“The Conservatives were happy to see the taxpayer pay the price as strikes dragged on and on, and passengers suffered. This Labour Government is doing the right thing and putting passengers first.
“If accepted, this offer would finally bring an end to this long-running dispute, and allow us to move forward by driving up performance for passengers with the biggest overhaul to our railways in a generation.”
Aslef's general secretary, Mick Whelan, said: "We are pleased that after being treated with utter contempt for the last two years by the privatised train companies, and the previous government that was pulling their strings, we finally have a new government that listens and wants to make the railway work for staff, for passengers, and for the taxpayer.
"The offer is a good offer, a fair offer, and it is what we have always asked for - a clean offer, without a land grab for our terms and conditions that the companies, and previous government, tried to take in April last year.
"We will put it to members with a recommendation for them to accept."
