STOP PRESS, 8 NOVEMBER:
Aslef's ballot has returned a thumping 98.8% majority, on a 67% turnout. That's a massive mandate, and a clear indication that Aslef members are prepared to take action.
As we argue below, Aslef now needs to use the mandate. If we wait for LU to impose detrimental changes and then strike reactively, it'll already be too late. We need to take action as soon as possible to protect our conditions.
Aslef is balloting its members on London Underground for industrial action. The vote closes on 8 November. Tubeworker encourages all Aslef members to vote yes.
Aslef had a live ballot mandate for industrial action since March, when a 97.3% majority voted for action. The mandate was never used, hence the current re-ballot (ballot mandates expire after six months).
Hopefully this time the mandate will be used to call action. Having the threat of action hanging over an employer can be useful in negotiations, but invariably it's action itself that actually gets the goods.
It is also to be hoped that Aslef members push their union into a more ambitious position in terms of its demands. Currently, Aslef is demanding only that LU "honour agreements", and that changes are negotiated rather than imposed. These are default positions that should go without saying... it would be good to see Aslef making some more concrete, positive demands around pensions and terms and conditions.
Notwithstanding this, Aslef is doing the right thing by balloting. We hope other LU unions launch their own ballots soon.
