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PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak accused drivers’ union ASLEF of running a “campaign of contempt”, on the day the latest national rail strikes started on January 30.
Co-ordinated to run on different days on a regional train operator by train operator basis, ASLEF members were on strike for five days over a seven-day period from Tuesday January 30 (as this issue of RAIL went to press) to Monday February 5. An overtime ban was in force from January 29 to February 6 (RAIL 1001).
The PM also called on train operators to “act in the best interest of their passengers” and use the powers of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023, enforcing its requirement to provide at least 40% of normal services.
He claimed that the powers are a “key tool that operators have asked for. They should now use them.”
Labour says it will repeal the legislation if it wins the next General Election.
Sunak’s claims ignore previous comments by ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan that the Act “won’t ease industrial strife - it will likely just make it worse”.
This was demonstrated when LNER said it would use the Minimum Service Levels Act. This led ASLEF to announce that its one-day strike on Friday February 2 would be added to with a further five days of action from Monday-Friday February 5-9, plus a four-day overtime ban on February 7-10.
LNER then retreated, and ASLEF cancelled the additional strikes and overtime ban.
It is understood that Southeastern, also directly controlled by the Department for Transport through its Operator of Last Resort, investigated using the Act’s powers, but withdrew when ASLEF restated its position.
Sunak’s comments were supported by Rail Minister Huw Merriman, who said: “Passengers are being targeted by ASLEF’s decision to go on strike, despite union bosses having an offer on the table that would take train drivers’ average salary up to £65,000 for a four-day week.
“While the RMT, TSSA and Unite have all agreed deals for their members, ASLEF’s leadership isn’t even putting the fair offer on the table to a vote of their members.”
ASLEF countered that its members have been clear in what it wants, and that repeated votes for continuing industrial action show “overwhelming” support for its position.
Merriman also accused ASLEF of “standing in the way of reform” and claimed that “taxpayers subsidised the rail sector to the tune of £12 billion in the last year alone - the very same taxpayers who are now being forced to miss work, postpone vital medical
