ASLEF


general
secretary
Mick
Whelan
has
accused
the
government
of
‘leading’
the
continuing
rail
strikes.

More
walkouts
have
been
scheduled
by
ASLEF
drivers
on
12
and
31
May,
and
also
on
3
June,
and
the
RMT
is
set
to
stage
a
strike
on
13
May,
which
will
clash
with
the
final
of
the
Eurovision
song
contest
in
Liverpool.

Speaking
to
the
Independent,
Mr
Whelan
said
he
expected
industrial
action
to
continue
in
the
months
ahead.
He
continued:
‘These
are
government-led
strikes,
government-driven
strikes,
government-organised
strikes.
Ever
since
Mr
Harper
and
Mr
Merriman
have
taken
over,
I
don’t
think
there’s
been
anything
done
in
good
faith.

‘Quite
simply
after
four
years,
we
want
a
simple
pay
rise,
but
we’re
not
going
to
give
up
every
term
and
condition,
everything
that
takes
140
years
to
gain,
for
nothing.

‘If
you
leave
us
in
our
free
collective
bargaining
to
deal
with
our
employers,
maybe
we’d
be
in
a
better
position.
But
we
are
hamstrung
by
the
dead
hand
of
government
as
we
have
been
for
the
last
two
years.’

The
Department
for
Transport
said:
‘Since
coming
into
office
the
secretary
of
state
and
the
rail
minister
have
positively
changed
the
tone
and
facilitated
negotiations,
including
meeting
Mick
Whelan
on
a
number
of
occasions.
It
has
always
been
the
role
of
industry
to
negotiate
with
unions.
Train
drivers’
national
average
wage
has
increased
by
39
per
cent
since
2011,
compared
to
the
national
average
of
23
per
cent,
and
the
very
fair
pay
offer
would
have
seen
their
already
well
above
average
salaries
increase
from
£60,055
to
£65,000
by
the
end
of
the
year.’