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Rail strikes could drag on for five years says train drivers’ union chief

Train drivers who are members of the Aslef union in England are embarking on their 11th walkout since last June and their second this week, as sports fans flock to the FA Cup Final, Epsom Derby and England’s Test match at Lord’s on Saturday.

Aslef boss Mick Whelan has said the union is “determined to get a resolution” and there is “no waning in enthusiasm” from the union’s 12,000 drivers for further industrial action.

He told Sky News: “We would like a resolution tomorrow, we do not want to be on strike. But we are in this if it takes us four years, five years, whatever it is, to get a resolution to this, we will do what it takes to get to that resolution.

“We have gone four years without a pay rise, as have many other sectors and many other workers.

“But to stop now, what will happen, we’ll not get a pay rise next year, the year after, the year after that? Nobody has come to us to say they want to resolve it or put a timescale on it”.

With talks having collapsed, Mr Whelan added that “nobody” from the Government has spoken to Aslef in more than six months.

Today’s strike will affect football fans travelling to London for the FA Cup Final between Manchester United and Manchester City at Wembley. The Football Association arranged for more than 100 coaches to take fans to the stadium, and people have been advised not to travel by train.

Mr Whelan denied he was trying to disrupt the football, adding: “We don’t do it on that basis. It’s not done to target any particular event. I don’t think there’s any day of the week where we don’t impact business, hospitality or any other areas.”

Around 40 per cent of trains are affected by the strikes, according to the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).

Trains that do run started later and are due to finish much earlier than usual, between 7.30am and 6.30pm.

RDG has advised travellers to check routes before they travel and prepare for disruption.

Members of the Aslef union on a picket line near to Leeds train station (Photo: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)

Rail workers who are part of the RMT union also went on strike on Friday, in their 21st national walkout since last summer.

Both unions have rejected the pay offers the Government has put on the table so far this year.

On Friday, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that despite no pay agreement, the industrial action has been a “success”.

“They wanted to make thousands of our people redundant, they wanted to shut every booking office in Britain, restructure our engineering workers, cut the catering service,” he said on the picket line at London’s Euston station.

“So we’ve pushed them back on that, they haven’t been able to implement any of their plans. What we haven’t got is a pay deal, we haven’t got any guarantees on our members’ futures but we have stopped them doing the worst aspects of their proposals and their ideas.

“It has been a success, our members are still with us, they’ve had three ballots to continue with the strike action.

“Other people seem to have been inspired to fight back and take action in their own industries, so it has been a success and it’s put trade unions back on the map.”

However, the Department of Transport said Saturday’s strikes are disruptive and are impacting union members’ own pay.

“These strikes have been coordinated by union leaders to disrupt passengers in a week which will see major events such as the first-ever all-Manchester FA Cup final, the Epsom Derby and a number of concerts and festivals across the UK,” a spokesperson said.

“Not content with impacting the hundreds of thousands of people who have looked forward to these events all year round, unions are also targeting their own members’ pockets by forcing them to miss out on pay every time they strike.

“The government has facilitated a fair and reasonable pay offer, now union leaders must do the right thing and put this to their members.”

Walkouts have become a regular occurrence on Britain’s railways as the bitter pay disputes that have been running since last summer continue.

Reforms, such as the closure of ticket offices, have been suggested in exchange for an increase in pay for workers. So far this has been rejected. Aslef turned down an 8 per cent rise over two years, while the RMT has rejected a 9 per cent offer over two years for station staff and guards – though RMT’s Network Rail members accepted a 9 per cent pay deal in March.

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