Members of ASLEF have voted overwhelmingly to continue strike action for the next six months in their ongoing dispute over pay, the train drivers’ union has announced.

Union members at 12 train operators in England were reballoted, each returning huge votes in favour of industrial action.

General secretary Mick Whelan said: “We are in this for the long haul. Our members who have not had a pay rise for nearly five years now are determined that the train companies and the Tory government that stands behind them do the right thing.

“The cost of living has soared since the spring and summer of 2019, when these pay deals ran out.

“The bosses at the train companies – as well as Tory MPs and government ministers – have had increases in pay. It’s unrealistic and unfair to expect our members to work just as hard for what, in real terms, is considerably less.”

The announcement comes as train drivers start a week-long overtime ban which is expected to cause disruption to services across England.

Read more:
Full list of dates in December 2023 and rail lines affected

A series of strikes that start from Saturday may cripple some services.

Yesterday, members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union agreed to an offer from train companies for a backdated pay rise of 5% for 2022-2023 and job security guarantees.

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