UK Train Drivers' Strikes to Continue Into February Amid Pay Row: Trade Union

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The UK train drivers’ union, ASLEF, called two more one-day strikes for early February after rejecting the latest pay raise offer from the Rail Delivery Group as a de facto pay cut.

"ASLEF has rejected a proposal… made by the cartel [put in place on behalf of a government which has been shown to be interfering in the talks] representing some of the train operating companies in Britain, and announced new strike dates on Wednesday 1 and Friday 3 February," it said.

Train drivers employed by rail operating companies will walk out of their jobs for 24 hours. They have staged six one-day strikes since last July. The latest took place on January 5.

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said the cartel was disappointed by the union’s rejection of its proposal to raise base salaries from 60,000 pounds ($73,600) to nearly 65,000 pounds by the end of the year.

"Rather than announcing further unnecessary strikes, we ask Aslef to recognize the very real financial challenge the industry is facing and work with us to deliver a better railway with a strong long-term future," they said.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan argued that the pay raise of roughly 7% was a real-term pay cut, considered that inflation was still lingering at above 10%. The offer comes with changes to working conditions, including Sunday shifts.

"Our members at these companies have not had an increase since 2019, despite soaring inflation, and it is time the companies – encouraged, perhaps, by the government – sat down with us and got serious," he said.