Rail unions

The train drivers' union Aslef struck on 5, 6, and 8 April, alongside overtime bans over days surrounding the strikes, in continuation of our dispute with Train Operating Companies operating primarily in England over pay since 2022.

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch told an LBC journalist that he would be prepared to conduct live, televised negotiations with the government, saying, "Let's get it in the open [...] The RMT and the trade unions always turn up for any debate. I’ve debated with government ministers in the past on the...

Aslef's latest press release, announcing the OT/RDW bans from 31 July to 5 August, contains a disturbing line from general secretary Mick Whelan.

Among other things, he says "...we want a resolution. A fair resolution. That’s why we are taking this action, to try to bring things to a head. Then I...

Following the departure of disgraced former general secretary Manuel Cortes, and the shocking exposure of an endemic culture of sexist harassment and bullying, TSSA is due to elect a new general secretary.

But you don't have to be a TSSA member to stand. You don't even have to be a railway worker...

An update to Aslef members from general secretary Mick Whelan describes the latest offer from the RDG as "risible", and says it "bore little relation" to what Aslef had been expecting following prolonged talks.

Whelan also says: "As you are aware, we had not taken any action while those talks...

Update

Since we published this article, which advocates merger talks between RMT and TSSA, it's emerged that RMT did in fact approach TSSA, on 13 January, to seek discussions on "inter-union relations". It seems the approach was sat on by top officials at TSSA HQ, who are set on their merger with...

With RMT members at Network Rail, TOCs, and outsourced cleaning contracts on national rail about to launch further strikes, Aslef members at TOCs and RMT members on LUL having voted to renew their industrial action mandates, and TSSA members at TOCs taking further action too, there's every...

Aslef drivers on multiple TOCs struck again on 26 November... but alone, without members of other rail unions, which are also in dispute, striking alongside them. Although their action significantly impacted the service, the impact would have been greater had workers struck together. Different...

It’s great to see Aslef drivers at Chiltern, Great Western Railway, LNER, London Overground, Northern, Southeastern, TransPennine and West Midlands and have voted for strikes.

Overall drivers voted for strikes by a 9-1 majority, with turnouts as high as 92% . It’s a spectacular set of results from...

TSSA members at LNER, c2c, Northern, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, and West Midlands Trains have all voted for industrial action over pay and conditions, opening up the prospect of coordinated action with other rail unions.

The ballot of TSSA's 6,000 members in Network...