UK strike threat returns as train drivers vote on action

The UK train drivers’ union will announce on Monday whether it plans to strike, raising the prospect of further British travel disruption in a summer marked by industrial action across sectors.

The Aslef union is expected to post results of a vote of more than 21,000 members for a possible work stoppage over a pay dispute. The group has said it’s likely to coordinate across the national railway system to maximize disruptions.

A decision to strike by Aslef drivers would mark a new wave of turmoil for Britain’s rail network, in a week where criminal barristers and post office staff are also taking industrial action. The UK government is facing widespread anger from trade unions over pay settlements and conditions, with Boris Johnson’s administration having argued that it needs to be cautious with pay awards for fear of stoking inflation.

The Aslef vote comes even as the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers consults with members on the latest proposals to resolve its dispute, which led in June to the country’s biggest train strike in 30 years.

Aslef is seeking higher wages for members who it says have had no raise since 2019 as inflation spirals. Aslef General Secretary Mick Whelan told the Financial Times last week that a national drivers strike would cause “massive” disruptions to travel this summer.