Members of the Aslef union from eight train companies supported strike campaigns.
On turnouts of more than 80%, members at Chiltern, LNER, Northern, TransPennine Express, Arriva Rail London, Great Western, Southeastern, and West Midlands Trains voted 9-1 in favour of strikes.
The upcoming walkouts follow last month’s strikes by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), which paralysed services.
The RMT and rail companies are set to resume talks this week.
The Transport Salaried Staffs Association is also holding ballots for its members at Network Rail and a number of train operators in England.
Before the results were announced, Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan stated, “Strike action is always the last resort for this trade union, but many of our members have not received a pay increase since 2019.”
Train companies are making a lot of money off of Britain’s railways, with big profits, dividends for shareholders, and big salaries for managers, and train drivers aren’t going to work longer hours for less.
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“It is very disappointing that, rather than commit to serious dialogue with the industry, Aslef are first seeking to cause further misery to passengers by joining others in disrupting the rail network,” a Department of Transport spokesperson said.
The train drivers they represent earn just under £60,000 per year on average, which is more than twice the UK median salary and significantly more than the workers who will be most affected by these strikes.
“Our railway is in desperate need of modernization in order to serve passengers better and be financially sustainable in the long run.” We urge union leaders to reconsider and work with, rather than against, their employers to find a new way forward.”
