More
talks


over
the
long-running
train
drivers’
pay
dispute
are
set
to
be
held
in
the
near
future,
after
a
first
meeting
this
week
between
ASLEF
and
the
Department
for
Transport
was
hailed
a
success
and
officially
described
as
‘constructive’.

Before
the
election
on
4
July,
ASLEF
general
secretary
Mick
Whelan
had
blamed
the
Conservative
government
for
the
stalemate
in
the
dispute
and
the
continuing
strikes,
saying
that
if
the
government
had
not
‘breached
our
trust,
and
acted
in
bad
faith’,
then
the
walkouts
would
not
have
been
called.

Mr
Whelan
has
also
dubbed
the
latest
talks,
which
apparently
did
not
involve
the
Rail
Delivery
Group,
as
constructive.
He
continued:
‘With
a
new
Secretary
of
State
for
Transport
in
place,
I
hope,
and
think,
we
can,
and
will,
get
a
deal
done.’

The
new
transport
secretary
Louise
Haigh
had
already
tweeted
on
X
that:
‘Fourteen
years
without
a
workforce
strategy
has
left
our
railways
understaffed,
reliant
on
voluntary
working
and
lurching
from
one
crisis
to
the
next.
Our
urgent
priority
is
to
reset
workforce
relations
and
put
passengers
first.’

The
DfT
said:
‘The
Transport
Secretary
has
been
clear
she
wants
to
reset
industrial
relations
for
the
benefit
of
passengers
and
the
workforce.

‘Today
officials
resumed
talks
with
ASLEF,
holding
a
constructive
meeting
as
we
look
to
resolve
this
long-running
dispute.

‘Further
conversations
will
be
held
in
the
coming
weeks.’