ASLEF’s ‘delayed’ journey to achieve pay rises for train drivers.
Train drivers across the county are taking part in rail strikes due to not having a pay rise in 5 years and are not planning on stopping strikes until they receive this rise from the government.
Since July 2022 drivers across 16 different operating companies who are represented by ASLEF have staged walkouts across April and May due to not receiving a pay rise since 2019.
They have been in talks with the government and RDG regarding a pay rise, drivers have been offered a 4% pay rise yet rejected the offer in 2023 as they felt ‘‘it is simply not enough’’.
Huddersfield station service support officer Dave Evans stated that ‘’we have no indication of what is coming up in the next few months, but we hope everything can get back on track so that things can feel somewhat normal again’’.
The train driver’s union claim they have been given an offer to accept ‘worse working conditions for better pay’, which means that drivers would have to be contracted to work the majority Sundays in the month.
Huddersfield train station currently has a 76% performance score which is calculated on service, punctuality and cancellation frequency. At Huddersfield’s station only 44% of trains are on time out of the 34,311 services that depart from the station. With also having 8% being 10+ minutes late or even cancelled with no warning for passengers.
Frequent Huddersfield passenger Erin Matley stated ‘’I am sick of it all to be honest, I have been late to work several times regarding train services from Huddersfield and Leeds even when I get the earlier train, if these strikes continue to carry on the TransPennine express drivers won’t have any jobs never mind a pay rise as the public will simply give up with this train line’’.
The union take a re-ballot every 6 months to discuss their next steps and what their plan of action of the next 6 months will be weather that is to carry on the strikes, try and negotiate again or take the 4% pay rise.
Upcoming strikes will take place most weekends until the 2nd of June were passengers are advised to check before they travel.